6533b831fe1ef96bd1298454

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Development and validation of a reliable method for studying the distribution pattern for opiates metabolites in brain

Katia GuerriniVeniero GambaroFiorenza FarèArgo ACristina BorroniGabriella RodaLucia Dell’acquaDaria CatalanoPaolo Procaccianti

subject

AdultMaleClinical BiochemistryAnalytical chemistryPharmaceutical ScienceHippocampusGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryAnalytical ChemistryHeroinchemistry.chemical_compoundSettore MED/43 - Medicina LegaleLimit of DetectionDrug DiscoverymedicineHumansTissue DistributionDerivatizationSpectroscopyHeroin; Morphine; Codeine; Post-mortem brain specimenChromatographyMolecular StructureMorphineCodeineHeroin DependenceIllicit DrugsCodeineBrainReproducibility of ResultsPonsHeroinSubstance Abuse DetectionchemistryFrontal lobeMorphinePost-mortem brain specimenDrug OverdoseOccipital lobemedicine.drug

description

Abstract Brain distribution pattern of “street” heroin metabolites (morphine and codeine) was investigated in two fatalities due to “acute narcotism”. A suitable sample pretreatment prior to solid-phase-extraction was developed to achieve a good recovery of the analytes and to eliminate the interfering species. After derivatization with MSTFA, samples were analyzed by GC/MS. Specificity, accuracy, precision and linearity of the method were evaluated; LOD and LOQ were, respectively, 10 ng/25 ng for morphine and 5 ng/10 ng for codeine. This method was applied to the analysis of six brain areas (hippocampus, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, nuclei, bulb and pons) coming from two cases of heroin-related deaths. No evidence of accumulation of metabolites in a specific brain region was found.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2012-04-02
10.1016/j.jpba.2012.04.001http://hdl.handle.net/10447/75893