Determining the Toxicological Significance of Pregabalin in Fatalities

Pregabalin has become more widely prescribed and abused in recent years but is still not always included in laboratory analysis. An LC‐MS‐MS method has been developed and applied to measure pregabalin in 93 postmortem cases, including drug‐related deaths, alternative causes of death, and fatalities where pregabalin was likely to have contributed to death. Other drugs or alcohol was detected, and the most common drug types (in decreasing frequency) were antidepressants, opioids, benzodiazepines, opiates, alcohol, antipsychotics, cocaine, cardiac drugs, amphetamines, cannabis, anticonvulsants, and antihistamines. New psychoactive substances (methoxphenidine and synthetic cannabinoids) were only found in two cases. The results provide further data to assist in evaluating the significance of postmortem pregabalin concentrations and a toxicologically significant concentration of 25 mg/L is proposed. Pregabalin, especially with concomitant use of other CNS depressant drugs, presents a significant toxicological risk and existing laboratory protocols should be reviewed for their suitability to detect pregabalin.     

超高效液相色谱法测定四川松潘3种秦艽中马钱苷酸和龙胆苦苷的含量

目的 采用超高效液相色谱(ultra performance liquid chromatography,UPLC)法对四川省松潘地产3种秦艽中马钱苷酸和龙胆苦苷含量进行测定,并考察海拔高度对其含量的影响.方法 采用BEH C18 (2.1 mm×50 mm,1.7 μm)色谱柱,乙腈-0.1%醋酸溶液为流动相;流速...     

Quantification of Morphine,Codeine, and Thebaine in Home‐Brewed Poppy Seed Tea by LC‐MS/MS

Recently, medical examiners reported two cases of a 21‐year‐old male and 24‐year‐old male with high amounts of morphine in their blood at autopsy. It was suspected that the decedents ingested lethal amounts of morphine from home‐brewed poppy seed tea. No studies to date have investigated opium alkaloid content extracted from poppy seeds by home‐brewing methods. Various poppy seed products were purchased from online sources and extracted with four home‐brewing methods representative of recipes found on drug user forums. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine were quantified in the tea extracts by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry using a validated analytical method. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine concentrations from seeds were <1–2788 mg/kg, <1–247.6 mg/kg, and <1–124 mg/kg, respectively. Alkaloid yield varied between extractions, but regardless of extraction conditions, lethal amounts of morphine can be rinsed from poppy seed coats by home‐brewing methods.     

Use of Xylazine in Drug‐Facilitated Crimes

Human xylazine poisoning is uncommon. This report describes the use of xylazine for intentional poisoning with criminal intent. Two incidents occurred within 3 weeks: the first involved one victim, and the second involved two victims. The clinical presentations were brief coma, bradycardia, hypotension, and hyperglycemia. The victims recalled having been given a drink from a stranger in a hospital waiting room before loss of consciousness. In the first case, general drug screening by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (MS) revealed xylazine in the gastric contents, but liquid chromatography–tandem MS (LC‐MS/MS) of serum did not. In the second incident, LC‐MS/MS screening of both victims’ urine and serum samples revealed an unknown peak in the total ion chromatograms, which a molecular mass database identified as morantel or xylazine. The latter was confirmed by comparison with a xylazine standard. Based on this report, we suggest that xylazine should be classified as a controlled drug.     

Teens and Spice: A Review of Adolescent Fatalities Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoid Use

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are commonly abused by adolescents with reported past year (2013) use in high school students between 3 and 10%. Standard adolescent postmortem toxicology does not include routine SC analysis, and thus, the true burden of fatalities related to SCs is unknown. A retrospective case review of two cases included scene investigation, interviews, autopsy, and toxicology. SCs were confirmed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC?MS/MS). Review of the eight adolescent SC‐associated fatalities in the literature revealed five of eight cases had no other discernible cause of death on autopsy. Compounds detected included PB‐22 (1.1 ng/mL), JWH‐210 (12 ng/mL), XLR‐11 (1.3 ng/mL), JWH‐122, AB‐CHMINACA (8.2 ng/mL), UR‐144 (12.3 ng/mL), and JWH‐022 (3 ng/mL). With synthetic drug use on the rise, forensic experts should have a high index of suspicion for the possibility of SC intoxication in adolescent fatalities with no other discernible cause of death.     

Rare Death Via Histamine Poisoning Following Crab Consumption: A Case Report

Histamine poisoning (scombroid food poisoning) is a toxicity syndrome that results from eating spoiled fish. To date, however, few poisoning (or mortality) cases have been reported in relation to crab consumption. Here, we describe a very uncommon case in which a 37‐year‐old woman and her 14‐year‐old son ate cooked crabs (Scylla serrata), resulting in the death of the female. Samples of vomitus, food residue, liver tissue, gastric content, intestinal content, and cardiac blood were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Toxicological analysis revealed that histamine concentrations were very high in the cooked crab (47.08 mg/100 g) and intestinal content (22.54 mg/100 g). Comparing our toxicological results, police investigations, and family member statements, it can be assumed that the decedent ingested spoiled crabs, and by excluding other causes of death, lethal intoxication with histamine poisoning was confirmed.     

大鼠死后心血吗啡浓度变化的HPLC检测

采用高效液相邑谱分析技术（HPLC）检测治疗量及中毒量吗啡肌注大鼠死后心血中吗啡浓度变化。结果表明，以治疗量吗啡肌往大鼠，在死后96h内，心血中吗啡浓度随死后时间增加而显著升高（P＜0．01），吗啡浓度水平与死后时间里显著正相关；以中毒量吗啡肌注大鼠，在死后12h内，心血吗啡浓度无明显变化；死后24h、48h及96h，随死后时间延长，心血中吗啡浓度逐渐升高（P＞0．01），其递增强度不如治疗量吗啡组大鼠的明显.本研究证实，死后尸体心血吗啡浓度明显受生前剂量的影响，且在死后96h内，随死后时间增加．心血中吗啡浓度少数不断增高。     

小颗粒悬浮液法显现汗潜手印的研究

本文从小颗粒悬浮液的显现原理出发,选择二硫化钼作为显现物质,对小颗粒法显现手印的试剂浓度、操作方法、对陈旧手印的适用性及小颗粒悬浮液的放置时间进行了研究和探讨,并给出相应的结论。     

喹烯酮在鲤和斑点叉尾鮰体内的药代动力学及组织分布

为了研究喹烯酮在鱼体内的药物代谢动力学及组织分布情况,在(15±1)℃的水温条件下,按50mg/kg单剂量口服给药后,采用高效液相色谱法测定喹烯酮在鲤、斑点叉尾鮰血浆与组织中的药物浓度.结果,喹烯酮在鲤和斑点叉尾鮰体内的药代动力学模型均符合两室开放模型.喹烯酮在鲤血液中2 h时达到最高血药浓度(Cmax)为0.452 μg/mL,在肝、肾、肌肉组织中达峰时间分别为8、16和16 h,主要药代动力学参数t1/2(ka)、t1/2β、AUC分别为1.263 h、35.866 h、24.585(μg/mL)·h;喹烯酮在癍点叉尾鮰血液中8 h达到最高血药浓度(Cmax)为0.029μg/mL,在肝、肾、肌肉组织中达峰时间分别为16、48和72 h,主要药代动力学参数t1/2(ka)、t1/kβ、AUC分别为4.669 h、31.164 h、1.388(μg/mL)·h.结果表明,喹烯酮在鲤与斑点叉尾鮰体内吸收较快,分布较广,主要经肝、肾代谢.     

Evaluation of Internal Standards for the Analysis of Ignitable Liquids in Fire Debris

Abstract:  An evaluation of eight compounds for use as an internal standard in fire debris analysis was conducted. Tests were conducted on tetrachloroethylene, chlorobenzene, n-octylbenzene, 3-phenyltolune, and deuterated compounds toluene-d8, styrene-d8, naphthalene-d8, and diphenyl-d10 to measure the extraction efficiency of each compound in the presence of an interfering volatile compound (carbon disulfide). Other tests were conducted to evaluate whether or not the presence of an ignitable liquid or pyrolysis/combustion products from fire debris would interfere with the identification of these compounds when used as an internal standard. The results showed that while any of the eight compounds could be used as an internal standard in fire debris analysis, the more volatile compounds (toluene-d8, tetrachloroethylene, chlorobenzene, and styrene-d8) showed better extraction efficiencies at room temperature than when heated to 60°C. Each of the less volatile compounds (naphthalene-d8, diphenyl-d10, n-octylbenzene, and 3-phenyltolune) performed well during extraction at 60°C, while naphthalene-d8 showed better extraction efficiency in the presence of competing volatiles when extracted at room temperature.