ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To compare morphine and codeine concentration in urines of heroin abusers and codeine users and to discuss the judgment index to distinguish between heroin abuser and codeine user.@*METHODS@#The urines of heroin abusers and codeine users were collected at different time periods. After protein precipitation, the urine samples were conducted for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of morphine and codeine by UPLC-MS/MS. And the results were all statistically analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Statistical analysis showed that morphine and codeine concentration in urines of heroin abusers and codeine users were both abnormal distributions. The probability of the heroin abuser would be more than 95% and less than 5% for the codeine user when the concentration of morphine in urine sample was more than 67 ng/mL. The probability of the codeine user would be more than 95% and less than 5% for the heroin abuser when the concentration of morphine in urine sample was less than 67 ng/mL.@*CONCLUSION@#The morphine concentration in urine could be used as a criterion to distinguish the heroin abuser from the codeine user, while the codeine concentration could not.
Subject(s)
Humans , Administration, Oral , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Codeine/urine , Forensic Toxicology/methods , Heroin Dependence/urine , Morphine/urine , Solutions , Substance Abuse Detection/methods , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methodsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To develop a column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of morphine and O6-monoacetylmorphine in urine.@*METHODS@#Urine samples (1.0 ml) were spiked with 1.0 ml borate buffer, after centrifugation, 1.0 ml of supernate were injected directly into an extraction column (YWG C18 33 mm x 5.0 mm, 10 microns). After a washing step with the extraction mobile phase, the retained morphine and O6-monoacetylmorphine were flushed into the analytical column (Lichrospher 100 CN 125 mm x 4.0 mm, 5 microns) with the mobile phase CH3OH-H2O (60:40). The analytical mobile phase is CH3OH-phosphate buffer (pH6.86) (22:78). The UV detector was set at lambda 286 nm.@*RESULTS@#The method shows excellent linearity from 50 to 1,600 ng/ml for morphine and from 100 to 1,600 ng/ml for O6-monoacetylmorphine. The linear correlation coefficients were > 0.999. The relative standard deviations were < 4%. The limits of detection were 40 ng/ml for both morphine and O6-monoacetylmorphine.@*CONCLUSION@#The method described is sensitive, rapid, reproducible, and simple.