Methods:We developed a sensitive method for analysis of nicotine and five major nicotine metabolites, including cotinine, trans-3-hydroxycotinine, nicotine-N-oxide, cotinine-N-oxide, and nornicotine, in human urine by liquid chromatography coupled with a TSQ Quantum triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer (LC/ MS/MS). Urine samples to which deuterium-labeled internal standards had been added were extracted with a simple solid-phase extraction procedure. Anabasine, a minor tobacco alkaloid, was also included. Results: The quantification limits of the method were 0.1-0.2 g/L, except for nicotine (1 g/L). Cotinine-Noxide, trans-3-hydroxycotinine, nicotine, and anabasine in urine were almost completely recovered by the solidphase extraction, whereas the mean extraction recoveries of nicotine-N-oxide, cotinine, and nornicotine were 51.4%, 78.6%, and 78.8%, respectively. This procedure provided a linearity of three to four orders of magnitude for the target analytes: 0.2-400 g/L for nicotine-N-