title: Simple and sensitive determination of free and total morphine in human liver and kidney using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: We developed a reliable, simple and sensitive method to determine free and total morphine in human liver and kidney, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Free morphine or total morphine obtained by acid hydrolysis from 0.2g tissue sample was extracted using an Extrelut NT column with an internal standard, dihydrocodeine, followed by trimethylsilylation. The derivatized extract was submitted to GC-MS analysis of EI-SIM mode. The calibration curves of morphine in both liver and kidney samples were linear in the concentration range from 0.005 to 5 microg/g. The lower limits of detection of morphine were 0.005 microg/g. This method proved successful when we determined free and total morphine in liver and kidney obtained from an autopsied man who was mis-ingested morphine compound in the hospital, which resulted in the cause of death being morphine intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Pathology and Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Naofumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000506:poisoning; D001344:Autopsy; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D009020:Morphine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine