title: Determination of aminorex in human urine samples by GC-MS after use of levamisole.
abstract: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that as of October 2010, 79% of all cocaine seized in the United States contained levamisole. The equine conversion of levamisole to aminorex has been demonstrated. However, the metabolic fate of levamisole in humans is unknown. Nevertheless, as aminorex is amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic, it may be used as an adulterant to increase the effects of cocaine. We report here the results of in vivo studies demonstrating for the first time that not only equine, but also canine and human metabolism all result in aminorex formation. Levamisole and aminorex were extracted from real urine samples by liquid-liquid extraction and identified and quantified by GC-MS (identification by 3 ions per substance, LLOQ at 0.15ng/ml for both).
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Toxicology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Legal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy. elisabetta.bertol@unifi.it
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertol
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Maria Grazia Di
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Milia
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Politi
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furlanetto
authors.forename: Steven B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Karch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000635:Aminorex / Q000652:urine*; D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000652:urine; D004285:Dogs; D004340:Drug Contamination; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007978:Levamisole / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008956:Models, Chemical; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D007978:Levamisole; D000635:Aminorex; D003042:Cocaine