Pascal Kintz

Bio: Pascal Kintz is an academic researcher from University of Strasbourg. The author has contributed to research in topics: Hair analysis & Poison control. The author has an hindex of 61, co-authored 505 publications receiving 12528 citations.

Buprenorphine-Related Deaths Among Drug Addicts in France: A Report on 20 Fatalities

Abstract: This paper reports a series of 20 fatalities involving a high-dose, sublingual buprenorphine (BUP) formulation recently marketed in France for the substitutive therapy of opiate addicts. The files were recorded over a 16-month period from five different urban areas in France. All subjects but one were male, aged 14-48 (mean 26.6). BUP and its primary metabolite norbuprenorphine (norBUP) were assayed in postmortem fluids and viscerae by HPLC-MS. Blood levels for BUP and norBUP ranged from 1.1 to 29.0 ng/mL (mean 8.4 ng/mL) and 0.2 to 12.6 ng/mL (mean 2.6 ng/mL), respectively, that is, within or slightly over the therapeutic range. BUP exhibited extensive tissue distribution, with average postmortem concentrations of 6.0, 35.0, 45.5, and 80.0 ng/g in the myocardium, kidney, brain, and liver, respectively. In blood, as in viscerae, norBUP levels were generally lower than BUP. The highest concentrations were found in the bile for both BUP (range 575-72,650 ng/mL) and norBUP (range 41-30,000 ng/mL). Therefore, bile may represent a sample of choice for postmortem screening. BUP was identified in 9 of the 11 hair samples assayed at concentrations ranging from 6 to 597 ng/g (mean 137 ng/g), whereas norBUP was never detected. Intravenous injection of crushed tablets, a concomitant intake of psychotropics (especially benzodiazepines), and the high dosage of the BUP formulation available in France appear to be the major risk factors for such fatalities.

Metabolism and Disposition Kinetics of Nicotine

Abstract: Nicotine is of importance as the addictive chemical in tobacco, pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation, a potential medication for several diseases, and a useful probe drug for phenotyping cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6). We review current knowledge about the metabolism and disposition kinetics of nicotine, some other naturally occurring tobacco alkaloids, and nicotine analogs that are under development as potential therapeutic agents. The focus is on studies in humans, but animal data are mentioned when relevant to the interpretation of human data. The pathways of nicotine metabolism are described in detail. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of nicotine and related compounds are reviewed. Enzymes involved in nicotine metabolism including cytochrome P450 enzymes, aldehyde oxidase, flavin-containing monooxygenase 3, amine N-methyltransferase, and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases are represented, as well as factors affecting metabolism, such as genetic variations in metabolic enzymes, effects of diet, age, gender, pregnancy, liver and kidney diseases, and racial and ethnic differences. Also effects of smoking and various inhibitors and inducers, including oral contraceptives, on nicotine metabolism are discussed. Due to the significance of the CYP2A6 enzyme in nicotine clearance, special emphasis is given to the effects and population distributions of CYP2A6 alleles and the regulation of CYP2A6 enzyme.

Forensic entomology in criminal investigations

Abstract: Forensic entomology is the application of the study of insects and other arthropods to legal issues, especially in a court of law. The past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in forensic investigations by entomologists. Lord & Stevenson (83) identified three categories of forensic entomology: urban, stored-product, and medicolegal. Urban forensic entomology includes such things as litigations and civil law actions involving arthropods in dwellings or as house and garden pests. Law suits dealing with the misuse of pesticides are included here. Stored-product forensic entomology generally deals with arthropod infestation or contamination of a wide range of commercial prod­ ucts (e.g. beetles or their parts in candy bars, flies in ketchup, or spiders in bathroom tissue). Like its urban counterpart, this category usually involves litigation. The third category, medicolegal forensic entomology, is the focus of this review and is the most popularized aspect of the science. It deals with arthropod involvement in events surrounding felonies, usually violent crimes such as murder, suicide, and rape, but also includes other violations such as physical abuse and contraband trafficking (116). A more accurate name for this category is medicocriminal forensic entomology (53).