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Related Experiment Videos

Postmortem disposition of morphine in rats.

W R Sawyer1, R B Forney

  • 1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46223.

Forensic Science International
|September 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners01:20

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Opioids are a class of drugs that mimic endogenous opioid peptides and act on opioid receptors, and help in pain relief. These compounds are classified as natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Natural opioids, like morphine, codeine, and thebaine, are derived from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum or Papaver album) and are termed opiates. Synthetic opioids are artificial, while semi-synthetic opioids combine natural and synthetic compounds. Morphine, a prototypical opioid, possesses a...
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Postmortem changes significantly alter morphine distribution in rats, with increased concentrations in cardiac blood and tissues like the liver shortly after death. These shifts are linked to pH changes and fluid movement, impacting drug analysis.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Postmortem Studies

Background:

  • Understanding postmortem drug distribution is crucial for accurate toxicological analysis.
  • Drug concentrations can change significantly after death due to various physiological and chemical processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the antemortem and postmortem distribution of morphine in rats.
  • To determine if drug distribution patterns are altered after an organism's death.

Main Methods:

  • Morphine was administered to rats at various intervals before death.
  • Samples of cardiac blood, liver, heart, forebrain, hindbrain, and urine were collected 0-96 hours postmortem.
  • Concentrations of free and total morphine, pH, and water content were measured.

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Main Results:

  • A significant increase in postmortem cardiac blood morphine concentrations was observed within 5 minutes of death, correlating with a rapid decrease in blood pH.
  • Free morphine levels increased significantly in the liver, heart, and forebrain 24-96 hours postmortem, while urine levels decreased.
  • The liver exhibited a 20-fold increase in free morphine levels by 96 hours postmortem; hindbrain levels remained unchanged.
  • Bacterial hydrolysis partially explained increased free morphine, but postmortem fluid shifts and pH-dependent partitioning were also key factors.

Conclusions:

  • Postmortem drug distribution is influenced by multiple mechanisms, including pH changes and fluid shifts.
  • These findings highlight the dynamic nature of drug concentrations after death.
  • Identifying these postmortem distribution patterns may aid in selecting appropriate tissues for toxicological analysis to better reflect antemortem drug levels.