title: Development and validation of a reliable method for studying the distribution pattern for opiates metabolites in brain.
abstract: Brain distribution pattern of "street" heroin metabolites (morphine and codeine) was investigated in two fatalities due to "acute narcotism". A suitable sample pretreatment prior to solid-phase-extraction was developed to achieve a good recovery of the analytes and to eliminate the interfering species. After derivatization with MSTFA, samples were analyzed by GC/MS. Specificity, accuracy, precision and linearity of the method were evaluated; LOD and LOQ were, respectively, 10ng/25ng for morphine and 5ng/10ng for codeine. This method was applied to the analysis of six brain areas (hippocampus, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, nuclei, bulb and pons) coming from two cases of heroin-related deaths. No evidence of accumulation of metabolites in a specific brain region was found.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche Pietro Pratesi, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argo
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borroni
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dell'acqua
authors.forename: Fiorenza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farè
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Procaccianti
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roda
authors.forename: Veniero
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gambaro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003061:Codeine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D003932:Heroin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009020:Morphine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D003932:Heroin; D009020:Morphine; D003061:Codeine