CCH attack frequency reduction after psilocybin correlates with hypothalamic functional connectivity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and prophylactic effect of psilocybin as well as its effects on hypothalamic functional connectivity (FC) in patients with chronic cluster headache (CCH). BACKGROUND: CCH is an excruciating and difficult-to-treat disorder with incompletely understood pathophysiology, although hypothalamic dysfunction has been implicated. Psilocybin may have beneficial prophylactic effects, but clinical evidence is limited. METHODS: In this small open-label clinical trial, 10 patients with CCH were included and maintained headache diaries for 10 weeks. Patients received three doses of peroral psilocybin (0.14 mg/kg) on the first day of weeks five, six, and seven. The first 4 weeks served as baseline and the last 4 weeks as follow-up. Hypothalamic FC was determined using functional magnetic resonance imaging the day before the first psilocybin dose and 1 week after the last dose. RESULTS: The treatment was well tolerated. Attack frequency was reduced by mean (standard deviation) 31% (31) from baseline to follow-up (pFWER = 0.008). One patient experienced 21 weeks of complete remission. Changes in hypothalamic-diencephalic FC correlated negatively with a percent change in attack frequency (pFWER = 0.03, R = -0.81), implicating this neural pathway in treatment response. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that psilocybin may have prophylactic potential and implicates the hypothalamus in possible treatment response. Further clinical studies are warranted.

Detection of cocaine 24 h after administration before nasotracheal intubation.

BACKGROUND: Cocaine may be applied to decongest the nasal mucosa before nasotracheal intubation, but patients risk a criminal offence if cocaine is detected when patients drive a car shortly after surgery. We aimed to evaluate whether benzoylecgonine levels in saliva exceeded the cut-off point 24 h after administration in patients undergoing nasotracheal intubation and whether cocaine would be detectable above the Danish legal fixed limit in blood samples 1 and 24 h after surgery. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study following approval from the local research ethics committee and the national medicine agency. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. We included patients scheduled for surgery under general anaesthesia with nasotracheal intubation. They received 80 mg cocaine as a nasal spray 5 min before induction and nasotracheal intubation. The primary outcome was a dichotomous assessment of benzoylecgonine levels in saliva samples measured 24 h after administration of nasal cocaine with a cut-off limit of 200 ng/mL. Secondary outcomes were dichotomous assessments of cocaine in whole blood samples measured 1 and 24 h after administration of nasal cocaine with a cut-off limit of 0.01 mg/kg. RESULTS: Overall, 70 patients had valid saliva samples and 75 had valid blood samples 24 h after cocaine administration. Benzoylecgonine in saliva was traceable above the cut-off in 9/70 patients (13%; CI95%: 6% to 23%), and cocaine in blood was detected above the cut-off in 2/75 patients (3%; CI95%: 0.3% to 9%). CONCLUSION: We found benzoylecgonine traceable in saliva in 13% of patients and cocaine traceable in blood in 3% of patients 24 h after administration of 80 mg nasal cocaine. Patients should be informed when receiving cocaine and advised not to drive for at least 24 h.

Scalable Analysis of Untargeted LC-HRMS Data by Means of SQL Database Archiving.

Liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) is widely used to detect chemicals with a broad range of physiochemical properties in complex biological samples. However, the current data analysis strategies are not sufficiently scalable because of data complexity and amplitude. In this article, we report a novel data analysis strategy for HRMS data founded on structured query language database archiving. A database called ScreenDB was populated with parsed untargeted LC-HRMS data after peak deconvolution from forensic drug screening data. The data were acquired using the same analytical method over 8 years. ScreenDB currently holds data from around 40,000 data files, including forensic cases and quality control samples that can be readily sliced and diced across data layers. Long-term monitoring of system performance, retrospective data analysis for new targets, and identification of alternative analytical targets for poorly ionized analytes are examples of ScreenDB applications. These examples demonstrate that ScreenDB makes a significant improvement to forensic services and that the concept has potential for broad applications for all large-scale biomonitoring projects that rely on untargeted LC-HRMS data.

The peripheral endocannabinoid system and its association with biomarkers of inflammation in untreated patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been found altered in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, whether the ECS alteration is present in the early stage of MS remains unknown. First, we aimed to compare the ECS profile between newly diagnosed MS patients and healthy controls (HCs). Next, we explored the association of the ECS, biomarkers of inflammation, and clinical parameters in newly diagnosed MS patients. METHODS: Whole blood gene expression of ECS components and levels of endocannabinoids in plasma were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively, in 66 untreated MS patients and 46 HCs. RESULTS: No differences were found in the gene expression or plasma levels of the selected ECS components between newly diagnosed MS patients and HCs. Interferon-γ, encoded by the gene IFNG, correlated positively (ρ = 0.60) with the expression of G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), and interleukin1ß (IL1B) correlated negatively (ρ = -0.50) with cannabinoid receptor 2 (CNR2) in HCs. CONCLUSIONS: We found no alteration in the peripheral ECS between untreated patients with MS and HC. Furthermore, our results indicate that the ECS has a minor overall involvement in the early stage of MS on inflammatory markers and clinical parameters when compared with HCs.

CYP2D6 Genotyping and Antipsychotic-Associated Extrapyramidal Adverse Effects in a Randomized Trial of Aripiprazole Versus Quetiapine Extended Release in Children and Adolescents, Aged 12-17 Years, With First Episode Psychosis.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the association between genetically predicted CYP2D6 phenotypes and extrapyramidal symptoms (EPSs). METHODS/PROCEDURES: Data from the Tolerability and Efficacy of Antipsychotics trial of adolescents with first-episode psychosis randomized to aripiprazole versus quetiapine extended release were studied. Extrapyramidal symptom assessments included the Simpson-Angus Scale and the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale. Patients were CYP2D6 genotyped. Plasma concentrations of antipsychotics and antidepressants were analyzed. FINDINGS/RESULTS: One hundred thirteen youths (age, 12-17 years; males, 30%; antipsychotic naive, 51%) were enrolled. Poor metabolizers had a significantly higher dose-adjusted aripiprazole plasma concentration (±SD) compared with normal metabolizers at week 4 (24.30 ± 6.40 ng/mL per milligram vs 14.85 ± 6.15 ng/mL per milligram; P = 0.019), but not at week 12 (22.15 ± 11.04 ng/mL per milligram vs 14.32 ± 4.52 ng/mL per milligram; P = 0.067). This association was not found in the quetiapine extended release group. No association between CYP2D6 genotype groups and global Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale score or Simpson-Angus Scale score was found in any of the treatment arms. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support routine use of CYP2D6 testing as a predictor of drug-induced parkinsonism or akathisia risk in clinical settings. Further studies with larger samples of CYP2D6 poor metabolizers are needed.

Cannabidiol versus risperidone for treatment of recent-onset psychosis with comorbid cannabis use: study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use is an important risk factor for development of psychosis and further transition to schizophrenia. The prevalence of patients with psychosis and comorbid cannabis use (dual diagnosis) is rising with no approved specialized pharmacological treatment option. Cannabidiol, a constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant, has potential both as an antipsychotic and as a cannabis substituting agent. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of cannabidiol versus a first-choice second-generation antipsychotic (risperidone) in patients with early psychosis and comorbid cannabis use. METHODS: The study is a phase II randomized, double-blinded, parallel-group, active-comparator clinical trial. We plan to include 130 patients aged between 18 and 64 years with a recent diagnosis of psychosis, comorbid cannabis use, and currently not treated with antipsychotics. The participants will be randomized to seven weeks of treatment with either cannabidiol 600 mg (300 mg BID) or risperidone 4 mg (2 mg BID). Participants will undergo clinical assessment after 1, 3, 5 and 7 weeks, telephone assessment the weeks in between, and a safety visit two weeks after end of treatment. The primary outcomes are cessation of cannabis use (self-reported) and psychotic symptom severity. The secondary outcomes include frequency and quantity of cannabis use, global illness severity, psychosocial functioning, subjective well-being, cognition, sleep, circadian rhythmicity, and metabolomics. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial can potentially contribute with a new treatment paradigm for patients suffering from dual diagnosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04105231 , registered April 23rd, 2021.

Treatment Status and Use of Psychoactive Substances in Deceased Drug Users.

BACKGROUND: Studies on drug use are limited by the study populations available, which usually only include drug users in treatment settings. Therefore, the knowledge base is limited on drug users not entering treatment for drug use disorder (DUD). Using registers from departments of forensic medicine enables research on decedents with DUD, irrespective of treatment status. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to characterize and compare drug users not receiving treatment and drug users receiving treatment, in relation to cause of death, toxicological findings, and use of nonprescribed medication. METHODS: Retrospective register-based study on deceased drug users with supplemental data from the Registry of Drug Abusers Undergoing Treatment and the Register of Medicinal Product Statistics in 2 observation periods: 2001-2002 and 2011-2012. RESULTS: Two-thirds of the population were not receiving treatment at the time of death in both observation periods. Drug users receiving treatment were more likely to die from accidental poisonings than drug users not receiving treatment. There was no difference in mean age at the time of death between the 2 groups, and both groups were older in the second observation period. There was no difference in toxicological findings according to treatment status and the 2 groups did not differ in the presence of nonprescribed medication found in the blood at the time of death. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of drug users that received treatment prior to death has not increased, and deceased drug users are mostly not in treatment for their drug use at the time of death.

Coronary artery CT calcium score assessed by direct calcium quantification using atomic absorption spectroscopy and compared to macroscopic and histological assessments.

The Agatston score (AS) is the gold standard CT calcium scoring method in clinical practice. However, the AS is an indirect method of determining calcium amount, whereas atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) can directly measure the calcium amount. Our primary aim was to investigate the association between the AS and the coronary calcium amount measured by AAS. Furthermore, we compared our outcome to the macroscopic and histological coronary calcification and stenosis assessment, thus allowing us to infer a clinical coronary artery status based on post-mortem findings. Deceased individuals were examined with a 64-slice multidetector CT scanner, and the AS was determined. At autopsy, the degree of CAC and stenosis was determined, and the coronary arteries were excised and weighed. The coronary arteries were decalcified in a solution that was examined using AAS to measure the calcium amount. The degree of CAC and stenosis was also assessed by a histological examination. One hundred thirty-two coronary arteries were examined, and AS was highly correlated to the coronary calcium amount, measured by AAS, (r2 = 0.72, Pearson 0.85, p < 0.0001). In cases with AS 0, AAS measurements showed zero or very low calcium amounts. AS was also correlated to macroscopic and histological calcification assessments (Spearman's rho 0.68, p < 0.0001, Spearman's rho 0.82, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, an underestimation of subclinical atherosclerosis was seen and AS 0 could not rule out stenosis.

Combined Ensemble Docking and Machine Learning in Identification of Therapeutic Agents with Potential Inhibitory Effect on Human CES1.

The human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), responsible for the biotransformation of many diverse therapeutic agents, may contribute to the occurrence of adverse drug reactions and therapeutic failure through drug interactions. The present study is designed to address the issue of potential drug interactions resulting from the inhibition of CES1. Based on an ensemble of 10 crystal structures complexed with different ligands and a set of 294 known CES1 ligands, we used docking (Autodock Vina) and machine learning methodologies (LDA, QDA and multilayer perceptron), considering the different energy terms from the scoring function to assess the best combination to enable the identification of CES1 inhibitors. The protocol was then applied on a library of 1114 FDA-approved drugs and eight drugs were selected for in vitro CES1 inhibition. An inhibition effect was observed for diltiazem (IC50 = 13.9 µM). Three others drugs (benztropine, iloprost and treprostinil), exhibited a weak CES1 inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 298.2 µM, 366.8 µM and 391.6 µM respectively. In conclusion, the binding site of CES1 is relatively flexible and can adapt its conformation to different types of ligands. Combining ensemble docking and machine learning approaches improves the prediction of CES1 inhibitors compared to a docking study using only one crystal structure.

Post-mortem toxicology in young sudden cardiac death victims: a nationwide cohort study.

Aims: Several drugs increase the risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death (SCD). We aimed to investigate in detail the toxicological findings of all young SCD throughout Denmark. Methods and results: Deaths in persons aged 1-49 years were included over a 10-year period. Death certificates and autopsy reports were retrieved and read to identify cases of sudden death and establish cause of death. All medico-legal autopsied SCD were included and toxicological reports collected. Positive toxicology was defined as the presence of any substance (licit and/or illicit). All toxicological findings had previously been evaluated not to have caused the death (i.e. lethal concentrations were excluded). We identified 620 medico-legal autopsied cases of SCD, of which 77% (n = 477) were toxicologically investigated post-mortem, and 57% (n = 270) had a positive toxicology profile. Sudden cardiac death with positive toxicology had higher rates of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), compared with SCD with negative toxicology (56% vs. 42%, P < 0.01). In total, 752 agents were detected, and polypharmacy (defined as the presence of more than one drug) was present in 61% (n = 164), all substances combined. Psychotropic drugs were the most frequent (62%, n = 467), and 82% (n = 385) were in pharmacological or subpharmacological levels. Conclusion: We found that more than half of all toxicologically investigated SCD victims have positive post-mortem toxicological findings, and polypharmacy is displayed in a considerable proportion. SCD with positive toxicology had higher rate of SADS, suggesting that the compounds may play a proarrhythmic role in these cases.

Deposition of diazepam and its metabolites in hair following a single dose of diazepam.

Only sporadic data are available on hair concentrations of diazepam and some of its metabolites (nordazepam, oxazepam, and temazepam) following a single controlled dose. The aim of this study was to investigate the deposition of diazepam and its metabolites in human hair after eight healthy volunteers (four women and four men, ages 24-26, East Asian) consumed 10 mg of diazepam. Hair was collected from all volunteers 1 month after exposure, and also 2 months post-exposure from men and 10 months post-exposure from women. Diazepam and the complete metabolite profile, including oxazepam glucuronide and temazepam glucuronide, were measured by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) with limits of quantifications (LOQs) of 0.5-2.5 pg/mg for diazepam, nordazepam, oxazepam, and temazepam, and of 10 pg/mg for oxazepam glucuronide and temazepam glucuronide. There were no differences by gender in the amounts of diazepam or metabolites found. The concentration of the main metabolite nordazepam was consistently higher than that of diazepam at both 1 and 2 months after consumption. Oxazepam and temazepam traces were found in some volunteers' hair, but the glucuronides were not detected. Diazepam and nordazepam levels at 10 months post-exposure were extremely low (near the LOQ), indicating drug loss by personal hygiene and physical handling. To our knowledge, this is the first single-dose diazepam study using black hair and the first study to include measurements of oxazepam glucuronide and temazepam glucuronide in human hair.

Determination of the unbound fraction of R- and S-methadone in human brain.

According to the free drug hypothesis, only the unbound fraction (f u ) of a given drug is biologically available in terms of its pharmacologic activity. Methadone shows large interpersonal variation in toxicity. The goal of the work presented here was to examine whether isolating the unbound fraction of the active R-methadone enantiomer from brain matter could be of value as a forensic tool. A method applying equilibrium dialysis to postmortem brain samples was validated and showed good reproducibility for the previously published f u values for eight common drugs (alprazolam, citalopram, codeine, methadone, morphine, diazepam, oxycodone, tramadol), as well as methadone enantiomers. This method was then applied to approximately 50 authentic case samples with R-methadone and S-methadone concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 13 and 0.6 to 6.8 mg/kg, respectively; median f u values (R-and S-methadone) were 3.9 % (range 3.0-5.3 %) and 3.7 % (range 2.9-4.9 %). No overall correlation between the active R-methadone concentration and f u were found. Small but statistically significant differences in median f u for the R-methadone enantiomer were identified between case-categories (i.e., poisoning with multiple drugs, methadone poisoning, and deaths unrelated to methadone), but these are thought to be too low to be of any forensic value.

Methadone-Related Overdose Deaths in a Liberal Opioid Maintenance Treatment Programme.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Increasing rates of overdose deaths involving opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) medications and particularly methadone have been observed concurrently with the implementation of liberal OMT strategies (i.e. minimum of control and high doses prescribed). This study examined methadone-related overdose deaths in a liberal OMT programme. METHODS: Drug-overdose deaths (n = 130) with detection of methadone in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense Municipality, Denmark, during the period 2008-2011 were identified from a registry. Cases with and without prescribed methadone as OMT were compared. Treatment delivery strategy among OMT-prescribed methadone cases was investigated. RESULTS: Methadone was detected in 130 overdose deaths (71.4% of all overdose deaths). Among these, 63.1% were receiving methadone maintenance treatment. Of these, 79.3% had co-detection of benzodiazepines. Concomitant detection of heroin, non-prescribed benzodiazepines, and younger age were associated with having non-prescribed methadone in the toxicological findings (adjusted OR 3.1, 4.0 and 9.5, respectively). Of the decedents, 43.8% were prescribed a higher methadone dose than recommended (>120 mg daily), of which 80.0% did not have supervised intake of methadone. CONCLUSIONS: Liberal OMT access does not necessarily prevent overdose deaths overall. Prescription of higher doses of methadone combined with benzodiazepines may result in an increased risk of overdose for individuals in as well as outside OMT.

In vitro drug metabolism by human carboxylesterase 1: focus on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) is the major hydrolase in human liver. The enzyme is involved in the metabolism of several important therapeutic agents, drugs of abuse, and endogenous compounds. However, no studies have described the role of human CES1 in the activation of two commonly prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: enalapril and ramipril. Here, we studied recombinant human CES1- and CES2-mediated hydrolytic activation of the prodrug esters enalapril and ramipril, compared with the activation of the known substrate trandolapril. Enalapril, ramipril, and trandolapril were readily hydrolyzed by CES1, but not by CES2. Ramipril and trandolapril exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics, while enalapril demonstrated substrate inhibition kinetics. Intrinsic clearances were 1.061, 0.360, and 0.02 ml/min/mg protein for ramipril, trandolapril, and enalapril, respectively. Additionally, we screened a panel of therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse to assess their inhibition of the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate by recombinant CES1 and human liver microsomes. The screening assay confirmed several known inhibitors of CES1 and identified two previously unreported inhibitors: the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, isradipine, and the immunosuppressive agent, tacrolimus. CES1 plays a role in the metabolism of several drugs used in the treatment of common conditions, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, and diabetes mellitus; thus, there is a potential for clinically relevant drug-drug interactions. The findings in the present study may contribute to the prediction of such interactions in humans, thus opening up possibilities for safer drug treatments.

Automated enzymatic hydrolysis of urine samples for improved systematic toxicological analysis of drug-facilitated sexual assault cases.

Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is characterized by victim incapacitation due to intoxicating substances. Detection of single drug exposure from DFSA requires a systematic toxicological analysis strategy including sensitive methods covering a broad spectrum of substances. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an UHPLC-MS/MS screening method for analysis of samples from DFSA cases and incorporate an automated enzymatic pre-treatment of urine samples into a robotic sample preparation for an efficient laboratory workflow. The screening method included 144 drugs of abuse, pharmaceuticals, and metabolites relevant to DFSA. The use of a recombinant enzyme showed an efficient glucuronide hydrolysis with an average parent drug recovery of 97%. Investigation of matrix effect showed no pronounced ion enhancement or suppression for most analytes (96%), and extraction recovery was above 80% for 97% of analytes. Process efficiency ranged from 50% to 138% for most analytes. The LODs ranged from 0.0001 mg/L to 2 mg/L depending on analyte, and most analytes met the SOFT recommended minimum performance limits. The validated method was applied to authentic suspected DFSA cases (n = 38). Results showed that drugs of abuse, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants were most commonly found in suspected DFSA cases. Incorporation of an automated enzymatic hydrolysis step during sample preparation enables a fast and simple workflow for simultaneous analysis of blood and urine samples for an improved systematic toxicological analysis strategy for DFSA cases.

Proarrhythmic drugs, drug levels, and polypharmacy in victims of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome: An autopsy-based study from Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), characterized by an unknown or inconclusive cause of death at autopsy together with a negative or nonlethal toxicology screening result, is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in victims younger than 35 years. The complete causality of SADS remains unclear, with drugs being a potential risk factor. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the toxicologic profiles of SADS victims, focusing on proarrhythmic drugs, drug levels, and polypharmacy. METHODS: All deaths in Denmark of those aged 1-35 years in 2000-2019 and 36-49 years in 2007-2019 were examined through death certificates, national registries, and autopsy reports with toxicology screenings. We investigated all sudden unexpected death victims with an autopsy performed, including negative or nonlethal drug findings, where cause of death was unknown or inconclusive (SADS). RESULTS: We identified 477 SADS victims; 313 (66%) had a positive toxicology screening result (adjudicated nonlethal), with an average of 2.8 drugs per case. More than half of the SADS victims with a positive toxicology screening result had QT-prolonging or brugadogenic drugs present. Polypharmacy was present in 66%, psychotropic polypharmacy in 37%, and QT-prolonging polypharmacy in 22%, with the most frequent overall and QT-prolonging drug combination being an antipsychotic and a psychoanaleptic drug. QT-prolonging drugs were more often present at suprapharmacologic levels than non-QT-prolonging drugs. CONCLUSION: The majority of the SADS population had a positive toxicology screening result, with a notably large proportion having proarrhythmic drugs and polypharmacy. This highlights the need for future focus on drugs as a risk factor for SADS.

Toxicological profile using mass spectrometry in sudden cardiac arrest survivors admitted to a tertiary centre.

BACKGROUND: There has been no previous thorough toxicological examination of a cohort of patients with resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest. We aimed to determine the qualitative and quantitative drug composition in a resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest population, using forensic toxicology, with focus on prescribed, non-prescribed, and commonly abused drugs. METHODS: Individuals aged 18-90 years with resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac causes were prospectively included from a single tertiary center. Data from the sudden cardiac arrest hospitalization was collected from medical reports. Drugs used during resuscitation or before the blood sampling were identified and excluded in each patient. Mass spectrometry-based toxicology was performed to determine the absence or presence of most drugs and to quantify the findings. RESULTS: Among 186 consecutively enrolled resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest patients (median age 62 years, 83% male), 90% had a shockable rhythm, and were primarily caused by ischemic heart disease (66%). In total, 90 different drugs (excluding metabolites) were identified, and 82% of patients had at least one drug detected (median of 2 detected drugs (IQR:1-4)) (polypharmacy). Commonly abused drugs were present in 16%, and QT-prolonging drugs were present in 12%. Polypharmacy (≥5drugs) were found in 19% of patients. Importantly, none had potentially lethal concentrations of any drugs. CONCLUSION: In resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest patients with cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac cause, routine toxicological screening provides limited extra information. However, the role of polypharmacy in sudden cardiac arrest requires further investigation. No occult overdose-related cardiac arrests were identified.

Toxicology Screening in Sports-Related Sudden Cardiac Death: A Multinational Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of toxicological findings among sports-related sudden cardiac death (SrSCD) is scarce. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe postmortem toxicology findings in a multinational cohort of young SrSCD. METHODS: Patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD) aged 12 to 49 years with a complete post mortem were included from Denmark, Spain, and Australia. Postmortem findings were compared between SrSCD and non-SrSCD, and toxicology findings in SrSCD were assessed. RESULTS: We included 3,189 SCD, of which 219 (7%) were sports-related. SrSCD patients were younger (36 years vs 41 years; P < 0.001) and of male predominance (96% vs 75%; P < 0.001), and their death was more often caused by structural cardiac disease (68% vs 61%; P = 0.038). Positive toxicology screenings were significantly less likely among SrSCD than non-SrSCD (12% vs 43%; P < 0.001), corresponding to 82% lower odds of a positive toxicology screening in SrSCD. Patient characteristics were similar between SrSCDs with positive and negative toxicology screenings, but deaths were more often unexplained (59% vs 34%). Nonopioid analgesics were the most common finding (3%), and SCD-associated drugs were detected in 6% of SrSCD. SUD was more prevalent among the SrSCD with positive toxicology (59% vs 34%). CONCLUSIONS: Sports-related SCD mainly occurred in younger men with structural heart disease. They had a significantly lower prevalence of a positive toxicology screening compared with non-SrSCD, and detection of SCD-associated drugs was rare.

In vitro metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies on methylone.

Abuse of the stimulant designer drug methylone (methylenedioxymethcathinone) has been documented in most parts of the world. As with many of the new designer drugs that continuously appear in the illicit drug market, little is known about the pharmacokinetics of methylone. Using in vitro studies, CYP2D6 was determined to be the primary enzyme that metabolizes methylone, with minor contributions from CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP2C19. The major metabolite was identified as dihydroxymethcathinone, and the minor metabolites were N-hydroxy-methylone, nor-methylone, and dihydro-methylone. Measuring the formation of the major metabolite, biphasic Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters were determined: V(max,1) = 0.046 ± 0.005 (S.E.) nmol/min/mg protein, K(m,1) = 19.0 ± 4.2 µM, V(max,2) = 0.22 ± 0.04 nmol/min/mg protein, and K(m,2) = 1953 ± 761 µM; the low-capacity and high-affinity contribution was assigned to the activity of CYP2D6. Additionally, a time-dependent loss of CYP2D6 activity was observed when the enzyme was preincubated with methylone, reaching a maximum rate of inactivation at high methylone concentrations, indicating that methylone is a mechanism-based inhibitor of CYP2D6. The inactivation parameters were determined to be K(I) = 15.1 ± 3.4 (S.E.) µM and k(inact) = 0.075 ± 0.005 minute(-1).

Quantification of 31 illicit and medicinal drugs and metabolites in whole blood by fully automated solid-phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An efficient method for analyzing illegal and medicinal drugs in whole blood using fully automated sample preparation and short ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) run time is presented. A selection of 31 drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, and benzodiazepines, was used. In order to increase the efficiency of routine analysis, a robotic system based on automated liquid handling and capable of handling all unit operation for sample preparation was built on a Freedom Evo 200 platform with several add-ons from Tecan and third-party vendors. Solid-phase extraction was performed using Strata X-C plates. Extraction time for 96 samples was less than 3 h. Chromatography was performed using an ACQUITY UPLC system (Waters Corporation, Milford, USA). Analytes were separated on a 100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm Acquity UPLC CSH C(18) column using a 6.5 min 0.1 % ammonia (25 %) in water/0.1 % ammonia (25 %) in methanol gradient and quantified by MS/MS (Waters Quattro Premier XE) in multiple-reaction monitoring mode. Full validation, including linearity, precision and trueness, matrix effect, ion suppression/enhancement of co-eluting analytes, recovery, and specificity, was performed. The method was employed successfully in the laboratory and used for routine analysis of forensic material. In combination with tetrahydrocannabinol analysis, the method covered 96 % of cases involving driving under the influence of drugs. The manual labor involved in preparing blood samples, solvents, etc., was reduced to a half an hour per batch. The automated sample preparation setup also minimized human exposure to hazardous materials, provided highly improved ergonomics, and eliminated manual pipetting.