Interaction of butorphanol, with monoamine oxidase inhibitor, tranylcypromine.

This investigation examines the possibility of interaction between tranylcypromine and butorphanol in comparison to pethidine. The LD50 of pethidine and butorphanol were determined in mice pretreated with the non-selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, tranylcypromine orally for 8 days or with oral saline solution. Tranylcypromine decreased the LD50 of both pethidine and butorphanol by 78% and 41%, respectively. Anesthetized rabbits with halothane pretreated with tranylcypromine or saline were given pethidine (5 mg/kg i.v.) or butorphanol (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg i.v.). Pethidine produced a marked increase in blood pressure in rabbits pretreated with tranylcypromine and did not affect significantly the heart rate. Butorphanol did not affect either blood pressure or heart rate at doses of 0.5 or 1 mg/kg. However, the largest dose of butorphanol (2 mg/kg) produced hypotension and tachycardia in rabbits pretreated with tranylcypromine. Neither pethidine nor butorphanol affected the temperature of anesthetized rabbits pretreated with tranylcypromine or saline.     

Developmental Validation of the Quantifiler® Duo DNA Quantification Kit for Simultaneous Quantification of Total Human and Human Male DNA and Detection of PCR Inhibitors in Biological Samples*

Abstract: The Quantifiler^® Duo DNA Quantification kit enables simultaneous quantification of human DNA and human male DNA as well as detection of inhibitors of PCR in a single real-time PCR well. Pooled human male genomic DNA is used to generate standard curves for both human (ribonuclease P RNA component H1) and human male (sex determining region Y) specific targets. A shift in the cycle threshold (C_T) values for the internal positive control monitors the presence of PCR inhibitors in a sample. The assay is human specific and exhibits a high dynamic range from 0.023 to 50 ng/μL. In addition, the multiplex assay can detect as little as 25 pg/μL of human male DNA in the presence of a 1000-fold excess of human female DNA. The multiplex assay provides assessment of the DNA extract and guidance for the selection of the appropriate AmpFℓSTR^® Amplification Kit to obtain interpretable short tandem repeat profiles.     

Screening for cannabinoids in blood using EMIT: concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in relation to EMIT results.

The EMIT d.a.u. cannabinoid assay of methanolic extracts of blood was found to be usable as a screening method in cases of suspected impairment by cannabis, when delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was analysed in the subsequent assay. A prerequisite is that the blood sample is taken some time after cannabis smoking. When a cut-off limit corresponding to 50 nM delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (17 ng/ml) was used, 86% of the EMIT positive blood samples contained THC concentrations above the cut-off limit of 1 nM (0.3 ng/ml). A high EMIT result gave a high probability of finding a high THC concentration in the subsequent confirmation analysis.     

Sexing of human clavicles using length and circumference measurements

Measurement of clavicular length and circumference, and computation of clavicular robustness and length-circumference product from 724 autopsied adults of known age, sex, and body length between the ages of 15 and 96 years produced useful sex-predictive values. This predominantly North American white population contained 560 males and 164 females with intact, nondeformed clavicles. Clavicle length and circumference and particularly their product have been found useful in sexing, but robustness as a single trait has not. Despite a significant overlap of male and female values, the use of single cutoff values allowed correct sex assignment of up to 93% of the entire study population, including 94% of males and 89% of females. The ratios of body length to clavicle circumference and to clavicle length are on average greater in women than in men. The former ratio yields male predictive values greater than 95% for those individuals with ratios falling below the cutoff value of 43, whereas the latter ratio is a relatively poor sex predictor.