PMID- 12185492
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20030212
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 0937-9827 (Print)
IS  - 0937-9827 (Linking)
VI  - 116
IP  - 4
DP  - 2002 Aug
TI  - Post-mortem redistribution of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") 
      in the rabbit. Part I: experimental approach after in vivo intravenous infusion.
PG  - 216-24
AB  - Post-mortem redistribution is known to influence blood and tissue levels of 
      various drugs. An animal model was used in an attempt to elucidate this problem 
      for the amphetamine analogue, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Rabbits 
      received 1 mg/kg MDMA intravenously (iv) and were killed 2 h later in order to 
      simulate the state of complete distribution in the body. MDMA and 
      3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) concentrations were determined in blood, 
      urine, bile, vitreous humour, and various tissues (eye globe walls, brain, 
      cardiac muscle, lungs, liver, kidneys, iliopsoas muscle and adipose tissue) using 
      a high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedure with fluorescence 
      detection. In the first group (control group, sampling immediately post mortem) 
      considerable MDMA concentrations were found in the brain and both lungs. In 
      addition, our data indicate the elimination of MDMA by hepatic biotransformation 
      and excretion via the bile. When the animals were preserved either 24 or 72 h 
      post mortem (second group), an increase of MDMA and MDA levels in the liver and 
      the eye globe walls was noticed. In the lungs, on the other hand, they tended to 
      decline as a function of increasing post-mortem interval. MDMA levels in cardiac 
      and iliopsoas muscle were fairly comparable and remained stable up to 72 h after 
      death. In the third group, ligation of the large vessels around the heart took 
      place immediately post mortem, but significant differences in blood and tissue 
      MDMA concentrations between rabbits of group 2 and 3 could not be demonstrated. 
      We therefore conclude that post-mortem redistribution of MDMA at the cellular 
      level (viz. by pure diffusion gradient from higher to lower concentrations) is 
      more important than its redistribution via the vascular pathway. Finally, MDA 
      levels were relatively low in all samples, thus indicating that this is not a 
      major metabolite in the rabbit, at least within the first 2 h after 
      administration.
FAU - De Letter, Els A
AU  - De Letter EA
AD  - Ghent University, Department of Forensic Medicine, J. Kluyskensstraat 29, 9000 
      Ghent, Belgium.
FAU - Clauwaert, Karine M
AU  - Clauwaert KM
FAU - Belpaire, Frans M
AU  - Belpaire FM
FAU - Lambert, Willy E
AU  - Lambert WE
FAU - Van Bocxlaer, Jan F
AU  - Van Bocxlaer JF
FAU - Piette, Michel H A
AU  - Piette MH
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20020528
PL  - Germany
TA  - Int J Legal Med
JT  - International journal of legal medicine
JID - 9101456
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
MH  - Female
MH  - Models, Animal
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/blood/*pharmacokinetics
MH  - *Postmortem Changes
MH  - Rabbits
MH  - Sensitivity and Specificity
MH  - Spectrometry, Fluorescence
MH  - Tissue Distribution
EDAT- 2002/08/20 10:00
MHDA- 2003/02/14 04:00
CRDT- 2002/08/20 10:00
PHST- 2001/09/10 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2001/12/27 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2002/08/20 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2003/02/14 04:00 [medline]
PHST- 2002/08/20 10:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/s00414-002-0292-0 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Int J Legal Med. 2002 Aug;116(4):216-24. doi: 10.1007/s00414-002-0292-0. Epub 
      2002 May 28.