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A GLC method for qualitative and quantitative determination of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine in biological fluids is described. After extraction of the drug and the internal standard, 4-methoxyamphetamine, from plasma and urine, the solvent is evaporated and the residue is mixed with 20 mul of freshly distilled ether. Aliquots (1-2 mul) then are injected into the gas chromatograph. Both the drug and the internal standard give well-separated symmetrical peaks. Flame-ionization detection allows concentrations of 0.125 mug of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine from plasma to be determined with a precision of 3.16%. The method is applicable to the estimation of 4-methoxyamphetamine, employing 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine as the internal standard. For identification purposes, various derivatives such as Schiff bases, isothiocyanates, trifluoroacetates, and heptafluorobutyrates of both compounds were formed following extraction from urine and their GLC behavior was investigated. Derivative formation was confirmed by GLC-mass spectrometry. Mass spectral data for these derivatives are presented.

This paper describes the synthesis of amphetamine derivatives, functionalized at the para-position of the phenyl ring of the drug. These derivatives were used to prepare fluorescein-labelled amphetamine to replace the label in a previously described polarisation fluoroimmunoassay that is highly specific for amphetamine. The original label was obtained using material donated by industrial sources and therefore not generally available. When the new label was used in the immunoassay, specificity was similar but the sensitivity was improved by a factor of four. This increase in sensitivity is explained by elimination of bridge-binding effects.

A 22-year-old male methamphetamine abuser was put under police protection owing to his abnormal state of excitation, but died 1 h later. Distribution of methamphetamine and amphetamine in the body was analyzed by the chemical ionization mass fragmentographic method. Amphetamine/methamphetamine concentrations (mumol/100 g) were 0.24/5.59 in blood, 0.41/9.43 in liver, 0.41/10.02 in brain, 0.37/9.80 in kidney, 0.18/4.57 in muscle, 0.02/0.63 in subcutaneous fat and 1.87/1464 in gastric contents. Total amount of methamphetamine hydrochloride in stomach contents was about 54 mg. Amphetamine concentrations in tissues ranged from 3.2% to 4.3% of methamphetamine, and was 0.1% in stomach contents. Amphetamine in tissues seems to be a metabolite of methamphetamine, and amphetamine in gastric contents is presumed to result from gastric mucous excretion. The blood concentration of methamphetamine was at a fatal level, and the total amount of the drug in gastric contents indicates that fatal poisoning occurred by ingestion.

Pseudo-peptides (pGlu-His-amphetamine, pGlu-His-pro-Amphetamine and pGlu-amphetamine) were subjected to enzymatic degradation by porcine serum and brain homogenate. The enzymic digests were (qualitatively) analyzed by the "Finger-prints" technique to provide evidence for the presence of free pyroglutamic acid and also quantitatively by HPLC to provide evidence for the presence and yield of free amphetamine. The stability in vitro toward enzymes of serum and brain homogenate of a new type of drug based on the combination of a peptide moiety (TRH) with a non peptide psycho-tropic moiety (amphetamine) is also considered and discussed.

This paper describes a procedure for the analysis of whole blood by six commonly used EMIT d.a.u. assays: barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine metabolite, opiates, amphetamines, and the cannabinoid 20 assays using the Syva Autocarousel and the COBAS MIRA. The sensitivity of the method rivals that of other immunoassay methods, such as RIA, for the detection of drugs in blood. The procedure has been successfully applied to the analysis of several hundred postmortem forensic blood specimens.

Three pre-column derivatization reagents, namely o-phthalaldehyde, 4-chloro-7-nitro-benz-2,1,3-oxadiazole, sodium naphthaquinone-4-sulphonate and two ion-pair reagents, namely, naphthalene-2-sulphonate and sodium dodecylsulphate have been investigated for their suitability for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of urine and plasma samples containing amphetamines. The derivatization method employing sodium naphthaquinone-4-sulphonate was found to be selective and sufficiently sensitive for the routine determination of amphetamine and methylamphetamine in urine and plasma samples at the ng/ml level.

Male, monozygotic twins (six pairs) were repeatedly tested before and after d-amphetamine, l-amphetamine, or placebo administration. Drug effects on cognitive, psychomotor, personality, mood, and pain variables were assessed. Members of a twin pair tended to respond similarly on several tests under placebo conditions, indicating genetic determination of the behavioral variables. In addition, cotwins tended to show similar responses to amphetamine as measured by one test of cognitive function, by several mood and personality variables (hostility, autonomic arousal, friendliness, feelings of tension and loss of control), and tended to have similar plasma levels of both amphetamine isomers. Although shared environmental effects cannot be ruled out, the results are consistent with genetic mediation of a variety of behavioral effects of amphetamines.

We applied a commercially available microelectrolytic conductivity detector to toxicological problems of qualitative and quantitative analysis by gas chromatography. The detector can be used for the sensitive and selective detection of halogen-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-containing compounds. Relative response in different element-selective detector variables such as reaction gas, reaction catalyst, and furnace temperature can be used to further improve qualitative identification by gas chromatography.