Time Course of Nicotine and Cotinine Incorporation into Samples of Nonsmokers' Beard Hair Following a Single Dose of Nicotine Polacrilex*

Abstract

Hair nicotine and cotinine have been proposed as longer-term markers of exposure to secondhand smoke. In this study, we evaluated the rate and extent of nicotine and cotinine deposition into beard hair among six male nonsmokers following a single exposure to 4 mg of nicotine in Nicorette(®) (nicotine polacrilex) gum. We collected beard hair samples daily for 12 days following exposure and urine samples for 6 days after exposure. Using liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric analysis, we found that both nicotine and cotinine could be detected in beard samples within 24 h of the exposure and reached a maximum of about 71 pg nicotine and 47 pg cotinine/mg hair, respectively, within 1-2 days, followed by a gradual decline. Compared to beard hair concentrations, nicotine, cotinine, and hydroxycotinine were excreted in urine at much higher levels and also peaked on the day after exposure (mean ± SD urine cotinine = 300 ± 183 ng/mL). Our results confirmed that both nicotine and cotinine can be measured in beard hair samples following a single dose of nicotine. However, both the time-course and extent of deposition of these analytes in beard hair in this study differed from the results reported previously from a similar evaluation.

The Ability of Plasma Cotinine to Predict Nicotine and Carcinogen Exposure is Altered by Differences in CYP2A6: the Influence of Genetics, Race, and Sex

“…Plasma nicotine, cotinine and 3HC levels, as well as urinary nicotine and metabolites, total NNAL, and PAH metabolites were quantified by gas/liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in the Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory at the University of California San Francisco as previously described (24, 40–43). NMR stratification was done by a median split of plasma NMR within each study population; participants who were in the higher NMR stratum were considered the faster CYP2A6 activity group, while those in the lower NMR stratum were considered the slower CYP2A6 activity group.…”

Exposure to Nicotine and Carcinogens among Southwestern Alaskan Native Cigarette Smokers and Smokeless Tobacco Users

“…Urine nicotine and 5 nicotine metabolites (nicotine glucuronide, cotinine, cotinine glucuronide, 3HC, and 3HC glucuronide) were measured by the Tobacco Exposure Biomarkers Laboratory at CDC with an LC/MS-MS method that has been previously described (11). Urine total NNN was measured at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN) by a published liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometric assay (12).…”

Analysis of Nicotine Metabolites in Hair and Nails Using QuEChERS Method Followed by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

“…They can not only reflect long-term exposure because of their sub-centimeter monthly growth rates, but are also relatively easy to collect and store in comparison with biological fluids. Based on these merits, in forensic studies, clinical applications using hair and nail samples have been actively studied, and several papers on nicotine and its metabolites have been published [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

“…Current analyses of nicotine metabolites in hair and nails are performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) [5][6][7]9] and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) [4,16]. In many cases, liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) is employed for sample preparation [4,5,7,9]. Although LLE offers specificity for individual compounds, it may require complicated procedures, as well as highly toxic organic solvents.…”