ABSTRACT
Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI]. Measurements of postmortem levels of the drug are helpful to demonstrate its usefulness in. forensic toxicology. For this reason, a rapid and sensitive high- pressure liquid chromatographic method has been developed for determination of the antidepressant fluoxetine in postmortem samples for 50 rats given intraperitoneal fluoxetine hydrochloride at the therapeutic levels. The postmortem samples were including blood, hair, liver, and discrete brain regions [raphenucleus, hypothalamus, and brain striatum].Fifty rats weighing from 200-250 gm. Rats were divided into 5 groups 10 rats per each group: group [1] was given ordinary rat diet, group [2] received 1ml/kg distilled water, group [3] was given fluoxetine hydrochloride once at a dose of 20mg/kg 30 minutes before killing and collection of samples, group [4] was given 10mg/kg fluoxetine hydrochloride once daily for 15 days and killed 30 minutes after the last dose, group [5] was given 10mg/kg. fluoxetine hydrochloride once daily for 9 days then killed on the 10th day after 30 minutes of 20mg/kg fluoxetine hydrochloride. Rats were sacrificed by decapitation and samples were collected immediately after death. In group III, the highest postmortem levels were observed in the raphenucleus followed by brain striatum, then the blood. In group IV, the highest postmortem levels were in hair followed by raphenucleus, then striatum followed by the liver. Meanwhile, in Group V, hair showed the highest postmortem levels followed by brain striatum then raphenucleus and lastly the liver. In conclusion, while blood is still the preferred matrix to link concentration and effect, analysis of hair, liver, and brain tissue can provide additional valuable information, not only in pure overdose cases