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Successful quantification of 4'-methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP) in human urine using LC-TOF-MS in an autopsy
Kaori Shintani-Ishida1, Yasuhiro Kakiuchi1, Hiroshi Ikegaya1
1Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566 Japan.
Abstract:
The toxicological detection of the new synthetic cathinone 4'-methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP) in urine samples has been impossible, because much of MPHP is metabolized before its excretion into urine. In this study, we successfully quantified unmetabolized MPHP in urine of an autopsy case using a sensitive method by liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry. The quantification method showed good linearity in the range of 1.00-100 ng/mL, and the limit of detection was 0.5 ng/mL in human urine. In the autopsy case, the concentrations of MPHP in urine, plasma, and liver tissue samples were determined to be 60.1, 32.9 ng/mL, and 63.1 ng/g, respectively.
Insights
Detecting the synthetic cathinone 4'-methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP) in urine is challenging due to metabolism. This study developed a sensitive method to quantify unmetabolized MPHP in an autopsy case.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Synthetic cathinones, including 4 -methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP), pose challenges in toxicological analysis.
- Metabolism of MPHP prior to excretion hinders its detection in biological samples like urine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a sensitive method for quantifying unmetabolized MPHP in human urine.
- To apply this method to determine MPHP concentrations in an autopsy case.
Main Methods:
- Liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) was employed for sensitive MPHP quantification.
- Method validation included linearity assessment (1.00-100 ng/mL) and determination of the limit of detection (0.5 ng/mL).
Main Results:
- The developed LC-TOF-MS method demonstrated good linearity and a low limit of detection in human urine.
- In an autopsy case, unmetabolized MPHP was successfully quantified in urine (60.1 ng/mL), plasma (32.9 ng/mL), and liver tissue (63.1 ng/g).
Conclusions:
- This study presents a reliable method for detecting unmetabolized MPHP, overcoming previous analytical limitations.
- The findings are crucial for forensic toxicology, enabling accurate MPHP assessment in post-mortem investigations.
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