ABSTRACT
A procedure has been developed for detection and quantitation of 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), the specific metabolite of heroin in human urine. 6-MAM was isolated by solid-phase extraction, and the extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in the oxidizing mode. Good linearity was obtained in the concentration range 10-250 ng/mL. Concentrations of 2 ng 6-MAM/mL can be detected using a 2-mL sample of urine. The method has been verified in urine samples of heroin abusers.
Subject(s)
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Morphine Derivatives/urine , Substance Abuse Detection/methods , Heroin/metabolism , Humans , Oxidation-ReductionABSTRACT
Measurements of binocular depth inversion using a stereoscopic slide projection with polarized light were performed in healthy volunteers before and after cannabis intake. Since binocular depth inversion represents an illusion occurring in the perception of semantically meaningful objects projected in a 3-D inverted fashion, the hypothesis can be tested that cannabis-induced "psychedelic states" represent a condition in which the human CNS is unable to correct implausible perceptual hypotheses. The data demonstrate a strong cannabis-induced impairment of binocular depth inversion.
Subject(s)
Depth Perception/drug effects , Marijuana Smoking/psychology , Vision, Binocular/drug effects , Adult , Depression, Chemical , Dronabinol/blood , HumansABSTRACT
Recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble intracellular protein. A purification process is described that incorporates a hydrophilic membrane (cellulosic) separation followed by a hydrophobic one (PTFE). The hydrophilic step is a traditional one in that species are separated primarily on the basis of size. The hydrophobic step separates species on the basis of parameters apparently not related to size. By combining these two steps, an increase in TNF purity of 7-10-fold can be achieved with a yield of 50%. The effects of cellular debris and pH on selectivity and recovery of the hydrophobic filtration step are discussed.
