PMID- 16636864
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20071212
LR  - 20220716
IS  - 0937-9827 (Print)
IS  - 0937-9827 (Linking)
VI  - 121
IP  - 4
DP  - 2007 Jul
TI  - Postmortem distribution of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N,N-dimethyl-amphetamine (MDDM or 
      MDDA) in a fatal MDMA overdose.
PG  - 303-7
AB  - In this manuscript, a newly identified compound, 
      3,4-methylenedioxy-N,N-dimethylamphetamine (MDDM or also called MDDA), was 
      quantified. The substance was identified in the biological specimens of a 
      31-year-old man who died following a massive 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine 
      (MDMA) overdose. In addition, the postmortem distribution of the identified 
      substance in various body fluids and tissues was evaluated. For MDDM 
      quantitation, a formerly reported and validated liquid chromatography tandem mass 
      spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was adapted. The following quantitative results of 
      the MDDM quantitation were obtained: Femoral blood, aorta ascendens, and right 
      atrial blood contained 2.5, 21.7, and 11.6 ng MDDM/ml, respectively. In left and 
      right pleural fluid and pericardial fluid, concentrations of 47.0, 21.7, and 31.9 
      ng/ml, respectively, were found. MDDM levels in urine, bile, and stomach contents 
      were 42.4, 1,101, and 1,113 ng/ml, respectively. MDDM concentrations in lungs, 
      liver, kidney, and left cardiac muscle ranged from 12.8 to 39.8 ng/g, whereas 
      these levels were below the limit of quantitation (< LOQ) in right cardiac and 
      iliopsoas muscle. In conclusion, for the first time, MDDM was unambiguously 
      identified in a fatal MDMA overdose. MDDM was probably present as a synthesis 
      by-product or impurity in the MDMA tablets, which were taken in a huge amount by 
      the victim, or MDDM was ingested separately and prior to the MDMA overdose. A 
      third option, i.e., the eventual formation of MDDM as a result of postmortem 
      methylation of MDMA by formaldehyde, produced by putrefaction processes or during 
      storage under frozen conditions, is also discussed. The MDDM levels, 
      substantiated in various body fluids and tissues, are in line with the 
      distribution established for other amphetamine derivatives and confirm that 
      peripheral blood sampling, such as that of femoral blood, remains the "golden 
      standard".
FAU - De Letter, Els A
AU  - De Letter EA
AD  - Department of Forensic Medicine, Ghent University, Jozef Kluyskensstraat 29, 9000 
      Gent, Belgium.
FAU - Lambert, Willy E
AU  - Lambert WE
FAU - Bouche, Marie-Paule L A
AU  - Bouche MP
FAU - Cordonnier, Jan A C M
AU  - Cordonnier JA
FAU - Van Bocxlaer, Jan F
AU  - Van Bocxlaer JF
FAU - Piette, Michel H A
AU  - Piette MH
LA  - eng
PT  - Case Reports
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20060425
PL  - Germany
TA  - Int J Legal Med
JT  - International journal of legal medicine
JID - 9101456
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Drug Overdose
MH  - Forensic Toxicology
MH  - Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
MH  - Hallucinogens/chemistry/*pharmacokinetics/*poisoning
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Molecular Structure
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/chemistry/*pharmacokinetics/*poisoning
MH  - Substance Abuse Detection
MH  - Tissue Distribution
EDAT- 2006/04/26 09:00
MHDA- 2007/12/13 09:00
CRDT- 2006/04/26 09:00
PHST- 2005/12/06 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2006/03/29 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2006/04/26 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2007/12/13 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/04/26 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/s00414-006-0094-x [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Int J Legal Med. 2007 Jul;121(4):303-7. doi: 10.1007/s00414-006-0094-x. Epub 2006 
      Apr 25.