ABSTRACT
The new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Colombia are detected by national authorities, in blotters strip, in different circumstances and places: airports, music concerts, discos and parks. Blotters are marketed as LSD and cause several cases of intoxication and death in some consumers: due to acute intoxication or when mixed with other drugs and may have different effects on the central nervous system (CNS). This study was conducted to research into and identify the chemical composition of the drugs impregnated in the blotters sold in two Colombian cities. This research provides the analysis of 70 doses coming from forensic cases of the Colombian Attorney General's Office in Bogota and from the Laboratory of Narcotics of the Colombian National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (North Headquarter) in Barranquilla. Mixtures of drugs, such as DOB, 25I-NBOMe, MDMA and 25I-NBOMe imine were found within the blotters through gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (CGMS); these drugs are classified by international authorities as NPS belonging to the phenylethylamines group. The results clearly warn about a growing public health problem in the country.
Subject(s)
DOM 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Methylamphetamine/analogs & derivatives , Dimethoxyphenylethylamine/analogs & derivatives , Drug Trafficking , Illicit Drugs/isolation & purification , N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/isolation & purification , DOM 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Methylamphetamine/isolation & purification , Administration, Sublingual , Colombia , Designer Drugs/isolation & purification , Dimethoxyphenylethylamine/isolation & purification , Drug Contamination , Humans , Paper , Substance-Related DisordersABSTRACT
Antecedentes. El aldicarb es un plaguicida carbamato de alta toxicidad asociado a intoxicaciones agudas fatales en el ser humano. Su mecanismo de acción consiste en la inhibición de la enzima acetilcolinesterasa (AChE) que ocasiona la acumulación del neurotransmisor acetilcolina en la hendidura sináptica. Esta acumulación provoca síntomas colinérgicos y, dependiendo de la dosis de exposición, puede paralizar los sistemas respiratorio y nervioso hasta llegar a la muerte. Objetivo. Determinar el nivel de aldicarb en sangre post mortem en casos de intoxicación aguda. Materiales y métodos. Investigación de tipo experimental empleando un cromatógrafo líquido con espectrometría de masas, con ionización electrospray y análisis en modo tándem (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Los estándares de aldicarb y el aldicarb-d3 fueron comprados de Dr. Ehrenstorfer GmbH. El método consiste en una precipitación de proteínas de la sangre y su posterior análisis por LC-ESI-MS/MS, utilizando el aldicarb-d3 como estándar interno. El método fue aplicado a siete casos de intoxicación letal por presunta acción del aldicarb. Resultados. El aldicarb se encontró en la sangre de seis de los casos estudiados, en niveles desde 0.12 a 1.90 µg/mL. Solo en uno de los casos no se detectó aldicarb. En cuanto la presunta manera de muerte, en seis de los casos analizados fue el suicidio y en un caso se clasificó como muerte en estudio. Conclusiones. Los resultados obtenidos con la metodología analítica y la técnica LC-ESI-MS/MS son satisfactorios en términos de la determinación cuantitativa de aldicarb en sangre total post mortem. La aplicación de la metodología descrita en toxicología forense evidencia el empleo de este plaguicida en actos suicidas.
Background. Aldicarb is a high toxicity carbamate pesticide associated to human fatal acute intoxications. Its mechanism of action consists of the inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE), which induces the accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft. This accumulation induces cholinergic symptoms and, depending on the exposition dose, it can paralyze the respiratory and nervous systems, leading to death. Objective. To determine aldicarb levels in post mortem blood in cases of acute intoxication. Materials and methods. An experimental research was conducted using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization. The aldicarb and aldicarb-d3 standards were purchased from Dr. Ehrenstorfer GmbH corporation. This method carries out a protein precipitation of blood and its analysis using LC-ESI-MS/MS, using aldicarb-d3 as internal standard. This method was applied to seven cases of fatal intoxication by presumable action of aldicarb. Results. Aldicarb was found in six of the studied cases on levels between 0.12 and 1.90 µg/mL. Aldicarb was not detected in blood only in one case. Six of the cases were associated to suicide as a manner of death and in one of them it remained under study. Conclusions. The results obtained with the analytical methodology and the use of the LC-ESI-MS/MS technique are satisfactory in terms of the quantitative determination of aldicarb in post mortem total blood. The application of the described methodology in forensic toxicology evidences the use of this pesticide in suicidal practices.
