Postmortem redistribution of morphine in rats with chronic morphine poisoning / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the postmortem redistrib ution of morphine in rat model of chronic morphine poisoning. Methods Samples including cardiac blood, liver, heart, kidney, lung and brain tissues were collected in the rats with chronic morphine poisoning at 0～96 h after death, respectively. The morphine amount was measured with solid phase ext raction-gas chromatography. Results The study showed an increase in morphine concentrat ion of postmortem cardiac blood. Significant increase in morphine level was also observed 24～96 h after death in liver, heart and brain tissues, while the kid ney morphine levels decreased at 96 h after death. In the liver there was the g reatest increase (25-fold) in morphine levels 96 h after death. All the sample s showed marked alterations in morphine concentration within 96 h after death c ompared with cardiac blood at time of death. The postmortem morphine levels in b rain were closely related to those in the heart blood. Conclusion The postmortem redistribution of morphine exists in rats with chronic morphine poisoning. The brain tissues may better represent morphine levels in heart blood at the time of death.