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Xie W, Zhou L, Liu J, Li Z, Li Z, Gao W, Shi Y. How to trace etomidate in illegal E-cigarettes from authentic human hair: identification, quantification and multiple-factor analysis. Forensic Toxicol 2024:10.1007/s11419-024-00698-w. [PMID: 39122972 DOI: 10.1007/s11419-024-00698-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The abusive consumption of illegal E-cigarettes containing etomidate (ET) can have a significant impact on public mental and physical well-being. The purpose of this study is to establish a rapid quantitative method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for the targeted screening of etomidate (ET) and its metabolite etomidate acid (ETA) in hair samples. METHODS A 1 mL methanol solution containing the internal standard ET-d5 at a concentration of 50 pg/mg was added to 20 mg of hair and milled below 4 °C. After centrifugation, 5 μL of the supernatant was injected into a UHPLC-MS/MS system. RESULTS The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were determined to be 1 pg/mg and 10 pg/mg, respectively, for ET, and 10 pg/mg and 25 pg/mg, respectively, for ETA. Calibration curves for all analytes showed good linearity (r > 0.997), indicating a reliable method. Accuracies were between 92.12% and 110.72%. Intra-day and inter-day precision for all analytes at all concentration levels were below 10.13%. Analyte recoveries ranged from 86.90% to 101.43%, with a matrix effect ranging from -18.55% to -14.93%. CONCLUSIONS The validated method was successfully used to analyze 105 hair samples from suspected ET users. Of these, 50 tested positive for ET and 43 tested positive for ETA above the LOQ. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the developed UHPLC-MS/MS method in detecting ET and ETA in hair samples, which could be instrumental in addressing the issue of illegal E-cigarette abuse and its impact on public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanting Xie
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Key Laboratory of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, 200063, People's Republic of China
- China National Narcotics Control Commission-ChinaPharmaceutical University JointLaboratory On Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Liying Zhou
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Key Laboratory of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, 200063, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinting Liu
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Key Laboratory of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, 200063, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziyi Li
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Key Laboratory of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, 200063, People's Republic of China
- China National Narcotics Control Commission-ChinaPharmaceutical University JointLaboratory On Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Zehong Li
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Key Laboratory of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, 200063, People's Republic of China
- China National Narcotics Control Commission-ChinaPharmaceutical University JointLaboratory On Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Gao
- China National Narcotics Control Commission-ChinaPharmaceutical University JointLaboratory On Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yan Shi
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Key Laboratory of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, 200063, People's Republic of China.
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Wei LC, Chiu HJ. Addressing the public health challenge of etomidate misuse in Taiwan: a call for enhanced regulatory and surveillance measures. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2024:10.1007/s12024-024-00835-2. [PMID: 38806805 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-024-00835-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Lien-Chung Wei
- Department of Addiction Psychiatry Taoyuan Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare Republic of China (Taiwan), 71 Longshou Street, Taoyuan District Taoyuan City 330, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Jane Chiu
- Taoyuan Psychiatric Center, Department of General Psychiatry Taoyuan Psychiatric Center Ministry of Health and Welfare, 71 Longshou Street, Taoyuan District Taoyuan City 330, Taipei, Taiwan.
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