Relative distribution of drugs in decomposed skeletal tissue

Area of Science:

• Forensic toxicology
• Postmortem drug distribution
• Skeletal tissue analysis

Background:

• Drug distribution in skeletal tissues is crucial for postmortem interpretation.
• Limited data exists on drug distribution in decomposed bone.
• Animal models offer insights into human physiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relative distribution of amitriptyline, diazepam, and pentobarbital in various skeletal tissues of a decomposed animal model.
• To assess the influence of bone type on drug concentration in skeletal remains.
• To evaluate the implications for forensic drug analysis in skeletal tissues.

Main Methods:

• Domestic pig model exposed to amitriptyline, diazepam, and pentobarbital.
• Outdoor decomposition of remains to complete skeletonization.
• Pulverization and methanolic extraction of twelve bone types.
• Analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Main Results:

• Bone type significantly affected the assay response for all three drugs (p < 0.05).
• Assay response varied by factors of 27 (pentobarbital), 39 (diazepam), and 20 (amitriptyline) across bone types.
• Ribs consistently yielded the highest drug response for all administered substances.
• Nordiazepam distribution did not show significant variation by bone type.

Conclusions:

• Drug distribution in decomposed skeletal tissues is influenced by bone type.
• Ribs are a key skeletal element for detecting amitriptyline, diazepam, and pentobarbital.
• These findings enhance the interpretive value of forensic drug measurements in skeletal remains.