title: Sensitive determination of diazepam and N-desmethyldiazepam in human material using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: A reliable and sensitive capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method was developed for the detection and determination of diazepam and its major metabolite, N-desmethyldiazepam, in human material. Medazepam served as the internal standard. Quantitative determination was achieved using mass fragmentography with selected ions of m/z 256 for diazepam and m/z 242 for N-desmethyldiazepam and medazepam. The limit of detection was 1 ng/g and the recoveries were 98.54 +/- 3.95% for diazepam and 98.66 +/- 6.48% for N-desmethyldiazepam. The calibration graph was linear over the concentration range from 1.0 ng/g to 1.0 microgram/g for diazepam and N-desmethyldiazepam. Using this method, trace amounts of diazepam and N-desmethyldiazepam were detected in the tissues of an autopsied individual.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003975:Diazepam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000032:analysis; D003708:Nordazepam / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D003708:Nordazepam; D003975:Diazepam