Experimental Neurology By Prof Paul Glees Pp xii + 532 (Oxford: Clarendon Press; London: Oxford University Press, 1961) 75s net

The Nervous System

State of the art in hair analysis for detection of drug and alcohol abuse.

Aims To examine the literature regarding clinical pharmacokinetics, direct effects and adverse clinical outcomes associated with methamphetamine use.

Methods  Relevant literature was identified through a PubMed search. Additional literature was obtained from relevant books and monographs.

Findings and conclusions  The mean elimination half-life for methamphetamine is approximately 10 hours, with considerable inter-individual variability in pharmacokinetics. Direct effects at low-to-moderate methamphetamine doses (5–30 mg) include arousal, positive mood, cardiac stimulation and acute improvement in cognitive domains such as attention and psychomotor coordination. At higher doses used typically by illicit users (≥50 mg), methamphetamine can produce psychosis. Its hypertensive effect can produce a number of acute and chronic cardiovascular complications. Repeated use may induce neurotoxicity, associated with prolonged psychiatric symptoms, cognitive impairment and an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Abrupt cessation of repeated methamphetamine use leads to a withdrawal syndrome consisting of depressed mood, anxiety and sleep disturbance. Acute withdrawal lasts typically for 7–10 days, and residual symptoms associated with neurotoxicity may persist for several months.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02564.x

A review of the clinical pharmacology of methamphetamine.

https://www.sjsu.edu/people/steven.lee/courses/c3/s2/New%20Non%20destructive%20confirmatory%20tests-1.pdf

Analysis of body fluids for forensic purposes: from laboratory testing to non-destructive rapid confirmatory identification at a crime scene.

A review of current trends and advances in modern bio-analytical methods: chromatography and sample preparation.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage in a Japanese cocaine abuser: Cocaine-related sudden death

Analysis of glyphosate and (aminomethyl) phosphonic acid in a suspected poisoning case.

/pdf/comparative-study-of-two-urinary-drug-screening-kits-4hq9bptitd.pdf

Comparative study of two urinary drug screening kits

Dear Editor: Chiral analysis of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATSs) has become essential to distinguish between their illicit and legitimate uses. This is because Selegiline (L-deprenyl) used for treatment of Parkinson’s disease produces L-methamphetamine (MAMP) and its metabolite L-amphetamine (AMP), while Gewodin (famprofazone) used for pain control also produces both D-MAMP and L-MAMP and their metabolites in the human body. Furthermore, in some countries, Adderall containing both D-AMP and L-AMP is frequently prescribed by doctors for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [1]. Chiral analysis of ATSs has been achieved by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) without using an expensive GC column coated with b-cyclodextrin [2]; the enantiomers of ATSs can be separated after derivatization with trifluoroacetyl-L-prolyl chloride (TPC) or R-(–)-a-methoxy-a-trifluoromethylphenylacetyl chloride [3] with a conventional capillary column. However, the retention times of the derivatized compounds usually become much longer than those of the free compounds, because of the much larger molecular sizes of the derivatives. Furthermore, chiral analysis usually needs a long analysis time to achieve good separation of enantiomers. In our previous article [1], we reported a very rapid and simultaneous chiral analysis of ATSs in human urine. It seems that many more reports [1, 2, 4–7] on chiral analysis of ATSs have dealt with urine specimens than with whole blood specimens [3], probably because urine gives higher recovery rates and clean extracts with fewer impurity peaks than does whole blood. In this brief communication, we demonstrate that rapid chiral analysis can be also applied to whole blood specimens. D-MAMP was purchased from Dainippon Pharmaceutical (Osaka, Japan). Three standards (D-AMP, L-AMP, and L-MAMP) and deuterated internal standards (L-AMP-d3 and L-MAMP-d6) were synthesized in our laboratory [2]. D-AMP, L-AMP, and L-AMP-d3 were sulfate salts, while all others were hydrochloride salts. TPC was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA); triethylamine (TEA) and diatomaceous earth (granular) from Wako Pure Chemical (Osaka, Japan). Other common reagents used were of analytical grade. Control drug-free whole blood samples were obtained from laboratory personnel volunteers (n = 5) with informed consent. The whole blood (0.2 ml) was spiked with internal standards to give the final concentration of 50 ng/ml each, and 0.8 ml of 1 M hydrochloric acid was added. The mixture was vortexed for 30 s, and centrifuged at 3,600 rpm for 3 min. The supernatant was adjusted to pH 12.6 with 5 M sodium hydroxide solution, and then 0.01 ml of TEA was added. This alkaline sample was immediately poured into a polypropylene filtration tube containing 2 g of granular diatomaceous earth. A small disc of filter paper was used to prevent the granular diatomaceous earth passing through the tube. After 15 min, the analytes were extracted with 5 ml of n-hexane containing 20 ll of 0.1 M TPC dichloromethane solution and 0.1 ml of propyl acetate. The samples were evaporated to dryness under a nitrogen stream and reconstituted in 100 ll of ethyl acetate for GC–MS analysis. H. Fujii K. Hara M. Kashiwagi A. Matsusue B. Waters S. Kubo (&) Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan e-mail: kuboshin@fukuoka-u.ac.jp

Application of high-throughput chiral analysis of amphetamines by GC–MS to whole blood specimens

A man in his late forties had lived as a recluse for more than ten years. He was found dead in his room. At autopsy, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was detected at the base of the brain, which weighed 1333 g. The cerebellar tonsil was swollen. The cerebral ventricle was enlarged and filled with blood. A hematoma was observed in the upper part of the left side of the cerebellar hemisphere. The location and size of SAH in this case indicated that the rupture of a cerebral aneurysm (CA) had occurred; however, CA was not detected. A mass of blood vessels buried in the hematoma was observed at the left cerebellopontine angle (CPA). The vascular lesion showed round-shaped blood vessels as well as flat-shaped vessels with the appearance of veins, but with elastic fibers indicative of arteries. The lesion was considered to be the nidus and was 5-8 mm in size. Feeding arteries appeared to be from the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA). However, the draining vein and anastomotic parts of the artery and vein were not confirmed. Based on these histopathological features, this vascular lesion was diagnosed as arteriovenous malformation (AVM). A differential diagnosis between AVM at CPA and CA is needed in order to identify the source of non-traumatic SAH.

Kenji Hara

Papers

Subarachnoid hemorrhage in a Japanese cocaine abuser: Cocaine-related sudden death

Analysis of glyphosate and (aminomethyl) phosphonic acid in a suspected poisoning case.

Comparative study of two urinary drug screening kits

Application of high-throughput chiral analysis of amphetamines by GC–MS to whole blood specimens

Basal subarachnoid hemorrhage by rupture of arteriovenous malformation at the cerebellopontine angle.