A fatal case of bupropion (Zyban) overdose.
A sensitive and reproducible method for the identification and the quantitative determination of bupropion (BUP) and its major metabolites, hydroxybupropion (OH-BUP) and threohydrobupropion (T-BUP), was developed in blood and urine. The three compounds were extracted with a solid-phase extraction procedure followed by LC-ESI-MS-MS separation and quantification using decadeuterated lidocaine as internal standard. BUP and its metabolites were satisfactorily identified by multiple reactions monitoring detection. The limits of detection and quantification were determined at 5 and 10 microg/L, respectively, for each analyte. The intraday and interday coefficients of variability were lower than 11.9% for BUP and its metabolites. This method was applied to the forensic case of a 35-year-old male who died after a suspected ingestion of 30 slow-release tablets of Zyban. As samplings were performed at least 72 h after the drug intake, BUP had disappeared from blood, but OH-BUP and T-BUP were present at the concentrations of 5.8 and 30.4 mg/L, respectively. In urine, concentrations ranged from 42.9 mg/L for BUP to 617 mg/L for T-BUP. These results agree with the hypothesis of a successful suicide attempt.
Mercerolle
Magali
M
Service de Pharmacologie et Toxicologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dupuytren, 87042 Limoges, France.
Denooz
Raphaël
R
Lachâtre
Gérard
G
Charlier
Corinne
C
D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016642:Bupropion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D062787:Drug Overdose; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D013405:Suicide; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D016642:Bupropion