Distribution of opiates in femoral blood and vitreous humour in heroin/morphine-related deaths.

The distribution of free morphine (FM), codeine and 6-acetylmorphine (6AM) in vitreous humour (VH) and femoral blood (FB) was measured in 70 cases involving heroin/morphine. The relationship between tissue drug concentrations was assessed with respect to case circumstances. Total morphine (TM) concentrations in FB are also reported.

Analysis of skeletal muscle has potential value in the assessment of cocaine-related deaths.

This study assesses the interpretive value of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BZE) and cocaethylene (COET) in skeletal muscle (rectus femoris) in cocaine-using decedents. The distribution of these analytes in cardiac muscle (CM), vitreous humour (VH), femoral blood (FB) and cardiac blood (CB) is also reported. In rectus femoris muscle, the spatial distribution of the analytes was examined across the whole rectus femoris muscle collected from seven fatalities in which cocaine was detected.

Validation of a gas chromatography-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the simultaneous quantification of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, morphine, codeine, and 6-acetylmorphine in aqueous solution, blood, and skeletal muscle tissue.

A gas chromatography-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous solid-phase extraction and quantification of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, morphine, codeine, and 6-monoacteylmorphine in blood, muscle tissue, and water. An assay for total morphine in blood and muscle was also validated. The limit of quantification was ≤ 0.

The effect of sodium fluoride preservative and storage temperature on the stability of 6-acetylmorphine in horse blood, sheep vitreous and deer muscle.

This study examined the in vitro stability of 6-acetylmorphine (6AM) in horse blood, sheep vitreous humour (VH) and homogenised deer muscle stored under different storage conditions. The stability of 6AM in horse blood is of interest because many toxicological laboratories utilise this matrix for the preparation of blood calibration and check standards and the latter are typically stored during routine use. Data on the storage stability of 6AM in human VH is extremely limited and no data has been reported in muscle.

The effect of sodium fluoride preservative and storage temperature on the stability of cocaine in horse blood, sheep vitreous and deer muscle.

The in vitro stability of cocaine in horse blood, sheep vitreous humour (VH) and homogenised deer muscle is described. The stability of cocaine in horse blood was of interest because many toxicology laboratories utilise horse blood for the preparation of calibration and check standards and the latter are typically stored during routine use. The storage stability of cocaine in human VH and muscle has not been previously reported.

Comparative analysis of the effects of heat on the PCR-amplification of various sized DNA fragments extracted from Sus Scrofa molars.

This study examined the effects of heat on the amplification of DNA from the dental pulp of Sus scrofa molars and investigated the protection afforded to the pulp tissue by the dental enamel, alveolar process, and soft tissue of the head. Segments of defleshed maxilla and mandible encasing the first molar (n = 60) were subject to a range of temperatures for 15 min. Dental pulps were retrieved.