title: Buprenorphine and nor-buprenorphine levels in head hair samples from former heroin users under Suboxone® treatment.
abstract: In the current study, buprenorphine (BUP) and its major metabolite, nor-buprenorphine (NBUP), were determined in hair samples from former heroin users following Suboxone® treatment. Hair samples from 36 subjects were analyzed. The drugs of interest were isolated from hair by solid-liquid extraction with methanol and were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, using an electrospray ionization interface. The analytical parameters of the method (such as linearity, limits of quantification, recovery, accuracy, and precision) were determined. The inter-quartile range of BUP levels was from 11.4 to 37.4 pg/mg (mean value 56.6 pg/mg) for the proximal hair segment, from 5.8 to 43.3 pg/mg for the middle hair segment (mean value 25.3 pg/mg), while a range from 4.3 to 33.9 pg/mg (mean value 105.2 pg/mg) for the distant to the root hair segment was determined. For NBUP the corresponding inter-quartile range was from 27.0 to 147.6 for the proximal segment (mean value 95.4 pg/mg), from 21.5 to 164.7 pg/mg for the middle segment (mean value 102.0 pg/mg) and from 20.4 to 103.6 pg/mg for the distant segment (mean value 156.8 pg/mg). The mean BUP/NBUP concentration ratio was 0.5. The daily dose of Suboxone® correlated significantly with BUP and NBUP levels in hair (p = 0.001 and p = 0.023) as well as with the BUP/NBUP ratio (p = 0.010). No significant correlation was found between the levels of BUP and NBUP and the duration of Suboxone® administration. The developed and validated method was successfully used for the determination of BUP and NBUP in hair samples collected from former heroin users under Suboxone® treatment.
authors.affiliation: Center of Toxicology Science &Research, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Stamatis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belivanis
authors.forename: Manolis N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Tzatzarakis
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vakonaki
authors.forename: Leda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kovatsi
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mantsi
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alegakis
authors.forename: Matthaios P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kavvalakis
authors.forename: Dionisios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vynias
authors.forename: Aristidis M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tsatsakis
mesh_terms: D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069479:Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009270:Naloxone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000069479:Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone; D002047:Buprenorphine; C043585:norbuprenorphine
keywords: LC-ESI-MS; Suboxone®; buprenorphine; hair; nor-buprenorphine