Search citation statements
Paper Sections
Citation Types
Year Published
Publication Types
Relationship
Authors
Journals
Among the new psychoactive substances encountered in forensic investigations is the opioid, acetyl fentanyl. The death of a 28-year-old man from recreational use of this compound is reported. The decedent was found in the bathroom of his residence with a tourniquet secured around his arm and a syringe nearby. Postmortem examination findings included marked pulmonary and cerebral edema and needle track marks. Toxicological analysis revealed acetyl fentanyl in subclavian blood, liver, vitreous fluid, and urine at concentrations of 235 ng/mL, 2400 ng/g, 131 ng/mL, and 234 ng/mL, respectively. Acetyl fentanyl was also detected in the accompanying syringe. Death was attributed to recreational acetyl fentanyl abuse, likely through intravenous administration. The blood acetyl fentanyl concentration is considerably higher than typically found in fatal fentanyl intoxications. Analysis of this case underscores the need for consideration of a wide range of compounds with potential opioid-agonist activity when investigating apparent recreational drug-related deaths.
Among the new psychoactive substances encountered in forensic investigations is the opioid, acetyl fentanyl. The death of a 28-year-old man from recreational use of this compound is reported. The decedent was found in the bathroom of his residence with a tourniquet secured around his arm and a syringe nearby. Postmortem examination findings included marked pulmonary and cerebral edema and needle track marks. Toxicological analysis revealed acetyl fentanyl in subclavian blood, liver, vitreous fluid, and urine at concentrations of 235 ng/mL, 2400 ng/g, 131 ng/mL, and 234 ng/mL, respectively. Acetyl fentanyl was also detected in the accompanying syringe. Death was attributed to recreational acetyl fentanyl abuse, likely through intravenous administration. The blood acetyl fentanyl concentration is considerably higher than typically found in fatal fentanyl intoxications. Analysis of this case underscores the need for consideration of a wide range of compounds with potential opioid-agonist activity when investigating apparent recreational drug-related deaths.
The cis and trans isomers of 3-methylfentanyl and its three analogs were chemically synthesized, and these compounds were characterized and differentiated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The cis and trans isomers of the 3-methylfentanyl analogs were completely separated by GC/MS. Although the high temperature of the GC injection port caused thermal degradation of β-hydroxy-3-methylfentanyl, the degradation was completely suppressed by trimethylsilyl derivatization. The isomers were also well separated by LC/MS on an octadecylsilyl column with 10 mM ammonium acetate and methanol as the mobile phase. The proton NMR signals were split when the hydrochloride salts of the 3-methylfentanyl analogs were dissolved in deuterated chloroform because stereoisomers were formed by the coordination of the hydrochloride proton to the nitrogen of the piperidine ring of the 3-methylfentanyl analogs.
To evaluate the capability of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes (h-iPS-HEP) in drug metabolism, the profiles of the metabolites of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, and acetylfentanyl, an N-acetyl analog of fentanyl, in the cells were determined and analyzed. Commercially available h-iPS-HEP were incubated with fentanyl or acetylfentanyl for 24 or 48 h. After enzymatic hydrolysis, the medium was deproteinized with acetonitrile, then analyzed by LC/MS. Desphenethylated metabolites and some hydroxylated metabolites, including 4′-hydroxy-fentanyl and β-hydroxy-fentanyl, were detected as metabolites of fentanyl and acetylfentanyl in the medium. The main metabolite of fentanyl with h-iPS-HEP was the desphenethylated metabolite, which was in agreement with in vivo results. These results suggest that h-iPS-HEP may be useful as a tool for investigating drug metabolism.Key words induced pluripotent stem cell; hepatocyte; fentanyl; metabolism Human primary hepatocytes (h-PRM-HEP) are widely used for drug metabolism studies because they are highly active in phase I and phase II drug metabolism.1) h-PRM-HEP are regarded as one of the best tools for the investigation of the metabolism of drugs; however, there are problems with their use, including maintaining a stable supply of cells of a consistent quality and occasional significant drops in cell viability resulting from the fragility of the cells. 2)Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, first developed in 2006, can differentiate into many different types of cells, including neurons, cardiomyocytes, and hepatocytes.3) Human iPS cell-derived hepatocytes (h-iPS-HEP) reportedly have catalytic activity from various CYP enzymes, in addition to liver-specific functions, such as albumin secretion and ammonia metabolism.4) Furthermore, h-iPS-HEP are robust and can be supplied stably, making these cells a potentially useful tool for drug metabolism studies.In this study, we investigated the ability of h-iPS-HEP to metabolize drugs using fentanyl and acetylfentanyl (Fig. 1) as model drugs. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid, which is used as an analgesic in patients with cancer. 5) Acetylfentanyl is an N-acetyl analog of fentanyl, which is used as a substitute for recreational opioid drugs, such as heroin.6) Fentanyl is known to be metabolized by desphenethylation, 4′-hydroxylation, and hydroxylation of the N-propionyl group. 7) Acetylfentanyl is metabolized in a similar manner to fentanyl. 8) We evaluated how accurately the in vivo patterns of fentanyl and acetylfentanyl metabolism can be reproduced using h-iPS-HEP. MATERIALS AND METHODSMaterials Authentic standards of fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, and their metabolites were synthesized in our laboratory. cis-3-Methylfentanyl was synthesized in our laboratory by the method reported previously. 9) β-Glucuronidase/aryl sulfatase (from Helix pomatia; β-glucuronidase, 32 units/mL; aryl sulfatase, 102 units/mL) was purchased from Merck (Darmstadt,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.