Determination of morphine in the plasma of addicts in using Zeolite Y extraction following high-performance liquid chromatography.
BACKGROUND
The measurement of morphine in biological samples has become a routine in many clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of morphine in plasma.


METHODS
Samples were extracted using Zeolite Y column followed by reversed phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. This method was based on an ex-calibration procedure and was linear between 20 and 200 ng/ml of morphine. Blood from 10 male opiate addicts were obtained from Rosbeh Hospital. All of the male smoked opiate (heroin, opium) and cigarettes.


RESULTS
The mean total level 5 h after the last abuse was 152.4 ng/ml and 37.6 ng/ml at 10-15 h. The method was reliable for morphine determination in blood even after 5 half-lives after the last abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
This method is simple and rapid and may be useful for routine monitoring of plasma morphine concentration.
Ghazi-Khansari
Mahmoud
M
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P. O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran. ghazikha@sina.tums.ac.ir
Zendehdel
Rezvan
R
Pirali-Hamedani
Morteza
M
Amini
Mohammad
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009892:Opium; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry*
D017641:Zeolites; D009020:Morphine; D009892:Opium