title: Suicide by self-injection of chlormequat trademark C5SUN(®).
abstract: Chlormequat is a quaternary ammonium used as plant growth regulating agent. We report here the first suicide case involving a 45 year-old farmer man who intentionally self-injected C5SUN(®), containing chlormequat and choline. An original liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry method (LC-HR-MS), using a hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer, was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of chlormequat in different biological matrices. Toxicological analyses of post-mortem samples highlighted the presence of chlormequat in the blood (2.25mg/L) and the urine (4.45mg/L), in addition to ethanol impregnation blood (1.15g/L). The route of administration (subcutaneous injection) was confirmed by the detection of chlormequat in the abdominal fat sample (chlormequat: 10.04mg/g) taken from the traumatic injury location, as well as in the syringe found at the death scene, close to the victim's body. Based on the results of these post-mortem investigations, the cause of death was determined to be consecutive to cardiac dysrhythmia and cardiac arrest following chlormequat self-injection.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Criminalistique et de Criminologie (INCC-GN), Bouchaoui, Alger, Algeria.
authors.forename: Yacine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Boumrah
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de toxicologie biologique et médico-légale, Centre hospitalier universitaire, Rennes, France; INSERM, U991, Université de Rennes 1, France. Electronic address: thomas.gicquel@chu-rennes.fr.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gicquel
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine légale, Centre hospitalier universitaire, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Chloé
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hugbart
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine légale, Centre hospitalier universitaire, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baert
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de toxicologie biologique et médico-légale, Centre hospitalier universitaire, Rennes, France; INSERM, U991, Université de Rennes 1, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine légale, Centre hospitalier universitaire, Rennes, France; Faculté de médecine, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bouvet
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D002716:Chlormequat / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D002716:Chlormequat
keywords: C5SUN(®); CCC; Chlormequat; Poisoning; Suicide