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Lima CD, Magalhães de Almeida Melo L, Arantes LC, Conceição NDS, de França Schaffel I, Machado LL, de Queiroz Ferreira R, Pio Dos Santos WT. Simple and selective screening method for the synthetic cathinone MDPT in forensic samples using carbon nanofiber screen-printed electrodes. Talanta 2024; 269:125375. [PMID: 37977086 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
3',4'-Methylenedioxy-N-tert-butylcathinone (MDPT), also known as tBuONE or D-Tertylone, is a synthetic cathinone (SC) frequently abused for recreational purposes due to its potent stimulant effects and similarity to illegal substances like methamphetamine and ecstasy. The structural diversity and rapid introduction of new SC analogs to the market poses significant challenges for law enforcement and analytical methods for preliminary screening of illicit drugs. In this work, we present, for the first time, the electrochemical detection of MDPT using screen-printed electrodes modified with carbon nanofibers (SPE-CNF). MDPT exhibited three electrochemical processes (two oxidations and one reduction) on SPE-CNF. The proposed method for MDPT detection was optimized in 0.2 mol L-1 Britton-Robinson buffer solution at pH 10.0 using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The SPE-CNF showed a high stability for electrochemical responses of all redox processes of MDPT using the same or different electrodes, with relative standard deviations less than 4.7% and 1.5% (N = 3) for peak currents and peak potentials, respectively. Moreover, the proposed method provided a wide linear range for MDPT determination (0.90-112 μmol L-1) with low LOD (0.26 μmol L-1). Interference studies for two common adulterants, caffeine and paracetamol, and ten other illicit drugs, including amphetamine-like compounds and different SCs, showed that the proposed sensor is highly selective for the preliminarily identification of MDPT in seized forensic samples. Therefore, SPE-CNF with DPV can be successfully applied as a fast and simple screening method for MDPT identification in forensic analysis, addressing the significant challenges posed by the structural diversity of SCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Diana Lima
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Larissa Magalhães de Almeida Melo
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luciano Chaves Arantes
- Laboratório de Química e Física Forense, Instituto de Criminalística, Polícia Civil do Distrito Federal, 70610-907, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Nathália Dos Santos Conceição
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, 29075910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Izabela de França Schaffel
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, 29075910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Lara Lima Machado
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rafael de Queiroz Ferreira
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, 29075910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Wallans Torres Pio Dos Santos
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Bergström MA, Andersson ME, Larsson SB. Detection of drugs and hepatitis C virus in used syringes from a needle exchange in Gothenburg, Sweden. Drug Test Anal 2023. [PMID: 38044807 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3614] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
People who inject drugs (PWID) are exposed to serious health risks such as lethal overdoses, addiction and infections. The patterns of drug use and the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection vary greatly between and even within countries. Data on drugs used for injection are important to inform PWID of risks and adapt healthcare. This study aimed to determine which substances are injected in Gothenburg, Sweden, and estimate the risk of HCV transmission. A total of 150 syringes handed in at the needle and syringe exchange program (NEP) in Gothenburg over a week in November 2021 were analysed for drug content using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Using a dose-adjusted comparison, the main drug(s) injected was distinguished from the impurities in the syringes containing several drugs. HCV RNA was quantified by real-time PCR in an additional set of 150 syringes. Drugs were detected in >99% of analysed syringes, and the most common drugs were amphetamine (81%), followed by buprenorphine (8.0%), heroin (6.7%) and alprazolam (4.6%). Less common findings were testosterone (2.7%), methylphenidate (2.0%), MDMA (0.7%), trenbolone (0.7%) and zopiclone (0.7%). Eleven syringes (7.3%) contained more than one drug. HCV RNA was detected in 13% of the syringes, and one in 10 contained enough to potentially transmit an infection. This study underlines the importance of access to NEPs for PWID to reduce the risks associated with drug injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moa Andresen Bergström
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria E Andersson
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Simon B Larsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Addiction and Dependency, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden
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Nelson KH, Manke HN, Bailey JM, Vlachos A, Maradiaga KJ, Huang S, Weiss TD, Rice KC, Riley AL. Ethanol pre-exposure differentially impacts the rewarding and aversive effects of α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP): Implications for drug use and abuse. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 211:173286. [PMID: 34634300 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Exposure to a drug can subsequently impact its own reactivity as well as that of other drugs. Given that users of synthetic cathinones, i.e., "bath salts", typically have extensive and varied drug histories, an understanding of the effects of drug history on the behavioral and physiological consequences of synthetic cathiones may be important to their abuse liability. OBJECTIVES The goal of the current work was to assess the effects of an ethanol pre-exposure on the rewarding and aversive effects of α-PVP. METHODS Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to ethanol prior to combined conditioned taste avoidance/conditioned place preference training in which rats were injected with 1.5, 3 or 5 mg/kg of racemic α-PVP or vehicle. Following a 7-day washout period, rats were then tested for thermoregulatory effects of α-PVP using subcutaneous probes to measure body temperature changes over the course of 8 h. This was followed 10 days later by assessments for α-PVP-induced locomotor activity and stereotypies over a 1-h session. RESULTS α-PVP induced significant dose- and trial-dependent taste avoidance that was significantly attenuated by ethanol history and dose- and time-dependent increases in locomotor activity that were significantly increased by ethanol. α-PVP also induced place preferences and dose- and time-dependent increases in body temperature, but these measures were unaffected by ethanol history. CONCLUSIONS α-PVP's aversive effects (as measured by taste avoidance) were attenuated, while its rewarding effects (as indexed by place preference conditioning) were unaffected, by ethanol pre-exposure. Such a pattern may indicate increased α-PVP abuse liability, as changes in the balance of aversion and reward may impact overall drug effects and likelihood of drug intake. Future self-administration studies will be necessary to explore this possibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine H Nelson
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA.
| | - Hayley N Manke
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA
| | - Jacob M Bailey
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA
| | - Anna Vlachos
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA
| | - Karina J Maradiaga
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA
| | - Shihui Huang
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA
| | - Tania D Weiss
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA
| | - Kenner C Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anthony L Riley
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D. C. 20016, USA.
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Riley AL, Nelson KH, To P, López-Arnau R, Xu P, Wang D, Wang Y, Shen HW, Kuhn DM, Angoa-Perez M, Anneken JH, Muskiewicz D, Hall FS. Abuse potential and toxicity of the synthetic cathinones (i.e., “Bath salts”). Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 110:150-173. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Gjerde H, Bretteville-Jensen AL, Furuhaugen H, Bache-Andreassen L, Bergh MSS, Vindenes V. Determination of drug residues in used syringe needles. Drug Test Anal 2020; 12:410-416. [PMID: 31899604 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hallvard Gjerde
- Section of Drug Abuse Research, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Håvard Furuhaugen
- Section of Drug Abuse Research, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lihn Bache-Andreassen
- Section of Drug Abuse Research, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marianne Skov-Skov Bergh
- Section of Drug Abuse Research, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vigdis Vindenes
- Section of Drug Abuse Research, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Oslo, Norway
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Handley SA, Ramsey JD, Flanagan RJ. Substance misuse-related poisoning deaths, England and Wales, 1993–2016. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1177/2050324518767445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Context In recent years there has been an increase in the availability of ‘novel psychoactive substances (NPS)’ or ‘legal highs’. In turn, there is concern as to the risks these compounds pose as compared to those posed by traditionally misused substances such as illicit diamorphine (heroin), methadone, cocaine, and amfetamines. Methods We reviewed deaths where opiates/opioids, stimulants, hypnosedatives, hallucinogens, or volatile substances were mentioned on the death certificate in England and Wales, 1993–2016 as recorded on the Office for National Statistics drug poisoning deaths database. Deaths were analysed by year of registration of death, age, sex, intent, drug(s) involved, and the presence of alcohol (ethanol). Results There were 68,347 drug-related deaths in England and Wales (includes both licit and illicit substances), of which 15,457 were either coded as, or had mention of, drug dependent/non-dependent substance abuse on the death certificate. Opioids, particularly diamorphine/morphine and methadone, featured in most deaths. Diamorphine/morphine-related deaths (17,402) increased from 155 in 1993 to 981 in 2001, and then remained relatively stable until 2010 (791). Thereafter, annual numbers of deaths fell to 579 in 2012, but have since increased to 1,209 (2016). Deaths in the age group 20–29 years declined from 46% (1993), to 13% (2016), whereas in those aged 40–49 years the percentage of deaths increased from 13% (1993) to 33% (2016). Methadone was mentioned in 7,894 deaths (1993–2016). Annual numbers of such deaths increased from 206 to 437, 1993–7, then declined, but have since increased, reaching 413 in 2016. As to age, a similar pattern as to diamorphine/morphine-related deaths is apparent. Annual numbers of deaths involving cocaine (1993–2016: 3,342), reached 235 in 2008, declined, but have since increased (2011: 112, 2016: 371). Annual numbers of deaths involving methylenedioxyamfetamine/ methylenedioxyethamfetamine/ methylenedioxymetamfetamine (‘ecstasy’) (1993–2016: 853), have also increased steadily in recent years (2010; 8, 2016: 65). There were relatively few mentions of ‘novel stimulants’ (1993–2016: 386) on death certificates and such deaths have declined in recent years (2015: 88, 2016: 57). Mephedrone was most frequently mentioned (122), as was para-methoxyamfetamine/ para-methoxymetamfetamine (88). Conversely, although synthetic cannabinoids were mentioned infrequently (1993–2016: 37), such deaths have increased recently (2015: 8, 2016: 26). Conclusions Illicit diamorphine (heroin) and methadone continue to be the principal drugs of abuse involved in fatal poisonings in England and Wales. The increase in such deaths in recent years has been largely due to an increase in deaths amongst older users, although the role of potent synthetic opioids such as carfentanil is a cause for concern. Overall, stimulants and related compounds have been implicated in an increasing number of deaths annually. The impact of the plethora of NPS that have appeared in recent years on fatal poisonings may have been mitigated by legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- SA Handley
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - JD Ramsey
- St. George's University of London, UK
| | - RJ Flanagan
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
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