Metabolism of norcocaine, N-hydroxy norcocaine and cocaine-N-oxide in the rat.

1. The metabolism of [3H]norcocaine, N-hydroxy[3H]norcocaine and cocaine-N-oxide has been investigated in rats after i.v. injection. 2. The biological t 1/2 of norcocaine (dose 2 mg/kg i.v.) in plasma, liver and brain were 0.4, 1.6, 0.5 h, respectively and the compound was not detectable in the central nervous system 6 h after injection. The % dose of norcocaine excreted unchanged in urine and faeces in 96 h were 0.7 and 1.0, respectively. Benzoylnorecgonine, norecgonine, norecgonine methyl ester and an unidentified compound were excreted in urine. 3. The biological t 1/2 of N-hydroxynorcocaine (5 mg/kg i.v.) in brain and plasma were 0.3, 1.6 h respectively and only 1.3 and 1.6% of dose were excreted unchanged in urine and faeces in 96 h. N-Hydroxybenzoylnorecgonine and N-hydroxynorecgonine methyl ester were the major urinary metabolites. N-hydroxynorcocaine was not metabolized to norcocaine in vitro by liver microsomes. Doses of greater than 7.5 mg/kg i.v. resulted in death of rats by cardiorespiratory arrest. 4. Cocaine-N-oxide (50 mg/kg i.v.) yielded ecgonine-N-oxide methyl ester as its major metabolite; other minor metabolites were cocaine (0.5%), norcocaine (1%), benzoylecgonine, ecgonine, ecgonine-N-oxide, along with minor amounts of unmetabolized compound. Lethality of cocaine-N-oxide (100 mg/kg i.v.) was possibly due to metabolism to norcocaine and cocaine.