title: Sensitive determination of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in human tissues by GC-MS.
abstract: A reliable, simple, and sensitive method was devised to determine the levels of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in human solid tissues. THC was effectively extracted with acetonitrile, and interfering compounds were removed by washing with a solution of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. THC was then derivatized by methylation and subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Deuterated methyl THC (THC-CD3) was used as an internal standard. The calibration curves were linear in the concentration range from 1 to 100 ng/g, and the lower limit of detection was 1 ng/g in all samples examined. The accuracy and precision of the method were evaluated in every tissue sample at two different concentrations, 5 and 50 ng per sample. The coefficient of variation ranged from 3.4 to 11.6%. We used this method to identify THC in tissues from an autopsied individual, and the distribution of this drug in the tissues was evaluated based on medico-legal criteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic 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: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jitsufuchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002138:Calibration; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D013759:Dronabinol