title: Distribution of enantiomers of methadone and its main metabolite EDDP in human tissues and blood of postmortem cases.
abstract: Knowledge concerning the distribution of methadone in postmortem human tissue and the effect of postmortem redistribution on methadone is today limited making the choice of a suitable substitute for femoral blood difficult when this is not available. Cardiac blood, femoral blood, muscle, and brain tissue concentrations of the enantiomers of methadone and its metabolite 2-ethyl-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolinium were recorded for 155 postmortem cases. Brain and muscle tissue concentrations exceeded the femoral blood concentrations with a median fold of 2.3 and 1.6, respectively, but both had a better correlation than cardiac blood to femoral blood concentrations. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant dependency on time and body mass index for some of the matrix ratios over femoral blood. We conclude brain or muscle tissue may constitute a better alternative for measurement of methadone than cardiac blood for situations in which femoral blood is not available, despite concentrations in both matrices being systematically higher.
authors.affiliation: Section of Forensic Chemistry, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederik V's Vej 11, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karen Marie Dollerup
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Linnet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009294:Narcotics / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D008691:Methadone; C010724:2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine
keywords: EDDP; blood; brain; forensic science; methadone; muscle; postmortem redistribution