Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (757 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Accumulation of a drug or chemical substance in various organs (including those not relevant to its pharmacologic or therapeutic action). This distribution depends on the blood flow or perfusion rate of the organ, the ability of the drug to penetrate organ membranes, tissue specificity, protein binding. The distribution is usually expressed as tissue to plasma ratios.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Distributions, Tissue; Distribution, Tissue; Tissue Distributions.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Pharmacokinetics
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 96,077 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Tissue Distribution” (counts retrieved 2026-10-29). 8,867 of them (9.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 40,206 records.
Reviews account for 6,489 records (6.8%) and meta-analyses for 52. Randomized controlled trials number 526 (0.5%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 40,206 |
| 2000-2009 | 26,883 |
| 2010-2019 | 20,121 |
| 2020 onward | 8,867 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 6,489 | 6.8% |
| Meta-analyses | 52 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 526 | 0.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Tissue Distribution"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-29.
Reading the evidence in pharmacology
Drug evidence builds in layers: laboratory pharmacology describes how a compound acts, pharmacokinetic studies describe how the body handles it, and randomized trials test whether it helps and what harms it causes. Post-marketing surveillance and observational studies reveal rarer adverse effects but cannot prove causation. This page is educational and is not a recommendation to start, stop or change any medicine; decisions about treatment belong with a qualified clinician.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A deep proteome and transcriptome abundance atlas of 29 healthy human tissues | 2019 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 697 | cc by PMID 30777892 · DOI · PMC6379049 |
| Biodistribution of extracellular vesicles following administration into animals: A systematic review | 2021 | Systematic review Design not recorded in structured metadata | 405 | cc by PMID 34194679 · DOI · PMC8224174 |
| Pharmacokinetic and Tissue Distribution of Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus after Oral Administration to Rats | 2018 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 113 | cc by PMID 29669995 · DOI · PMC5923419 |
| Short communication: Tissue distribution of major cannabinoids following intraperitoneal injection in male rats | 2022 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 14 | cc by PMID 35045097 · DOI · PMC8769355 |
A deep proteome and transcriptome abundance atlas of 29 healthy human tissues [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Genome-, transcriptome- and proteome-wide measurements provide insights into how biological systems are regulated.
- Closing excerpt
- Many uses of this resource can be envisaged including the study of gene/protein expression regulation and biomarker specificity evaluation.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (174 words)
Genome-, transcriptome- and proteome-wide measurements provide insights into how biological systems are regulated. However, fundamental aspects relating to which human proteins exist, where they are expressed and in which quantities are not fully understood. Therefore, we generated a quantitative proteome and transcriptome abundance atlas of 29 paired healthy human tissues from the Human Protein Atlas project representing human genes by 18,072 transcripts and 13,640 proteins including 37 without prior protein-level evidence. The analysis revealed that hundreds of proteins, particularly in testis, could not be detected even for highly expressed mRNAs, that few proteins show tissue-specific expression, that strong differences between mRNA and protein quantities within and across tissues exist and that protein expression is often more stable across tissues than that of transcripts. Only 238 of 9,848 amino acid variants found by exome sequencing could be confidently detected at the protein level showing that proteogenomics remains challenging, needs better computational methods and requires rigorous validation. Many uses of this resource can be envisaged including the study of gene/protein expression regulation and biomarker specificity evaluation.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30777892 · DOI · PMC6379049
Biodistribution of extracellular vesicles following administration into animals: A systematic review [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- In recent years, attention has turned to examining the biodistribution of EVs in recipient animals to bridge between knowledge of EV function in vitro and in vivo.
- Closing excerpt
- There was extreme variability in the methodology between studies and we recommend that guidelines should be developed to promote standardization where possible of future EV biodistribution studies.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (200 words)
In recent years, attention has turned to examining the biodistribution of EVs in recipient animals to bridge between knowledge of EV function in vitro and in vivo. We undertook a systematic review of the literature to summarize the biodistribution of EVs following administration into animals. There were time-dependent changes in the biodistribution of small-EVs which were most abundant in the liver. Detection peaked in the liver and kidney in the first hour after administration, while distribution to the lungs and spleen peaked between 2-12 h. Large-EVs were most abundant in the lungs with localization peaking in the first hour following administration and decreased between 2-12 h. In contrast, large-EV localization to the liver increased as the levels in the lungs decreased. There was moderate to low localization of large-EVs to the kidneys while localization to the spleen was typically low. Regardless of the origin or size of the EVs or the recipient species into which the EVs were administered, the biodistribution of the EVs was largely to the liver, lungs, kidneys, and spleen. There was extreme variability in the methodology between studies and we recommend that guidelines should be developed to promote standardization where possible of future EV biodistribution studies.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 34194679 · DOI · PMC8224174
Pharmacokinetic and Tissue Distribution of Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus after Oral Administration to Rats [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Fucus vesiculosus L.
- Closing excerpt
- The outcome of this study provides additional scientific data for traditional use of fucoidan-containing plants and offers tangible support for the continued development of new effective pharmaceuticals using fucoidan.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (224 words)
Fucus vesiculosus L., known as bladderwrack, belongs to the brown seaweeds, which are widely distributed throughout northern Russia, Atlantic shores of Europe, the Baltic Sea, Greenland, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and shores of the Pacific Ocean. Fucoidan is a major fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharide found in Fucus (F.) vesiculosus. The pharmacokinetic profiling of active compounds is essential for drug development and approval. The aim of the study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of fucoidan in rats after a single-dose oral administration. Fucoidan was isolated from F. vesiculosus. The method of measuring anti-activated factor X (anti-Xa) activity by amidolytic assay was used to analyze the plasma and tissue concentrations of fucoidan. The tissue distribution of fucoidan after intragastric administration to the rats was characterized, and it exhibited considerable heterogeneity. Fucoidan preferentially accumulates in the kidneys (AUC0–t = 10.74 µg·h/g; Cmax = 1.23 µg/g after 5 h), spleen (AUC0–t = 6.89 µg·h/g; Cmax = 0.78 µg/g after 3 h), and liver (AUC0–t = 3.26 µg·h/g; Cmax = 0.53 µg/g after 2 h) and shows a relatively long absorption time and extended circulation in the blood, with a mean residence time (MRT) = 6.79 h. The outcome of this study provides additional scientific data for traditional use of fucoidan-containing plants and offers tangible support for the continued development of new effective pharmaceuticals using fucoidan.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 29669995 · DOI · PMC5923419
Short communication: Tissue distribution of major cannabinoids following intraperitoneal injection in male rats [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Currently, peripheral tissue distribution of cannabinoids after treatment is poorly understood.
- Closing excerpt
- Thus, as cannabinoid research continues to rapidly grow, consideration of the potential bioactive effects of these molecules in peripheral tissues is warranted in future studies.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (159 words)
Currently, peripheral tissue distribution of cannabinoids after treatment is poorly understood. This pilot study sought to examine the early tissue distribution of major cannabinoids 30 minutes following an intraperitoneal injection of vehicle (1:9 Tween 80/SAL), and doses of THC (1 mg/kg) and CBD (5 mg/kg) that are feasible for human consumption in serum, adipose, brain, lung, liver, jejunum, and muscle of male Sprague-Dawley rats. The jejunum and adipose were most enriched in THC. Similarly, CBD was enriched in the jejunum and adipose but also the liver. In contrast, the brain had the lowest concentration of cannabinoids relative to other tissues. The liver had the greatest concentration of the THC metabolites, 11-OH-THC and COOH-THC, compared to all other tissues. Overall, these findings highlight broad tissue distribution and marked differences in tissue concentration not previously appreciated. Thus, as cannabinoid research continues to rapidly grow, consideration of the potential bioactive effects of these molecules in peripheral tissues is warranted in future studies.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 35045097 · DOI · PMC8769355
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles affect circulation, biodistribution, cellular internalization, and trafficking [5]
- Research article Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases [6]
- Research article Tissue concentrations: do we ever learn? [7]
- Research article The role of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity in drug discovery [8]
- Research article Mechanisms underlying postmortem redistribution of drugs: a review [9]
- Research article Tissue concentration of systemically administered antineoplastic agents in human brain tumors [10]
References
- Wang D, Eraslan B, Wieland T, Hallström B, Hopf T, Zolg DP, et al.. A deep proteome and transcriptome abundance atlas of 29 healthy human tissues. . 2019. PMID 30777892 · DOI · PMC6379049
- Kang M, Jordan V, Blenkiron C, Chamley LW. Biodistribution of extracellular vesicles following administration into animals: A systematic review. . 2021. PMID 34194679 · DOI · PMC8224174
- Pozharitskaya ON, Shikov AN, Faustova NM, Obluchinskaya ED, Kosman VM, Vuorela H, et al.. Pharmacokinetic and Tissue Distribution of Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus after Oral Administration to Rats. . 2018. PMID 29669995 · DOI · PMC5923419
- Lust CAC, Lin X, Rock EM, Limebeer CL, Parker LA, Ma DWL. Short communication: Tissue distribution of major cannabinoids following intraperitoneal injection in male rats. . 2022. PMID 35045097 · DOI · PMC8769355
- Duan X, Li Y. Physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles affect circulation, biodistribution, cellular internalization, and trafficking. Small. 2013. PMID 23019091 · DOI
- Bennett CF, Krainer AR, Cleveland DW. Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2019. PMID 31283897 · DOI · PMC7427431
- Mouton JW, Theuretzbacher U, Craig WA, Tulkens PM, Derendorf H, Cars O. Tissue concentrations: do we ever learn?. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2008. PMID 18065413 · DOI
- Lin J, Sahakian DC, de Morais SM, Xu JJ, Polzer RJ, Winter SM. The role of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity in drug discovery. Curr Top Med Chem. 2003. PMID 12769713 · DOI
- Pélissier-Alicot AL, Gaulier JM, Champsaur P, Marquet P. Mechanisms underlying postmortem redistribution of drugs: a review. J Anal Toxicol. 2003. PMID 14670131 · DOI
- Pitz MW, Desai A, Grossman SA, Blakeley JO. Tissue concentration of systemically administered antineoplastic agents in human brain tumors. J Neurooncol. 2011. PMID 21400119 · DOI · PMC4020433
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-29.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.