Incorporation of suvorexant and lemborexant into hair and their distributions after a single intake.

PURPOSE: This study examined the applicability of hair analysis as an approach to identify suvorexant (SUV) and lemborexant (LEM) intake by analyzing black hair specimens collected from study participants after a single oral administration. METHODS: Hair specimens were collected form participants who took a single dose of 10 mg SUV or 5 mg LEM. Identification of the dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) and their metabolites was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Reference standards of S-M9 and L-M4, the metabolites of SUV and LEM, respectively, were synthesized in our laboratory. Sectional analysis of 1-mm segments of the single-hair strands was also performed to investigate the incorporation behavior of the drugs into hair. RESULTS: Unchanged SUV and LEM, and their metabolites S-M9 and L-M4 were detected even in the single-hair specimens. Results of the segmental hair analysis showed predominant incorporation of the drugs into hair through the hair bulb region rather than through the upper dermis zone of the hair root. The drug concentrations in the hair specimens, collected about 1 month after intake, were 0.033-0.037 pg/hair strand (0.17-0.19 pg/mg) for SUV and 0.054-0.28 pg/hair strand (0.28-1.5 pg/mg) for LEM. The calculated distribution ratios of the DORAs into hair to the oral doses were much lower than those of benzodiazepines and zolpidem reported in a previous study. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of the detection of the DORAs in hair. The incorporation behavior of the DORAs into hair revealed herein are crucial for proper interpretation of hair test results.

Human and rat microsomal metabolites of N-tert-butoxycarbonylmethamphetamine and its urinary metabolites in rat.

PURPOSE: N-tert-Butoxycarbonylmethamphetamine (BocMA), a masked derivative of methamphetamine (MA), converts into MA under acidic condition and potentially acts as a precursor to MA following ingestion. To investigate the metabolism and excretion of BocMA, metabolism tests were conducted using human liver microsomes (HLM), rat liver microsomes (RLM) and rat. METHODS: BocMA metabolites were analyzed after 1000-ng/mL BocMA incubation with microsomes for 3, 8, 13, 20, 30, and 60 min. Rats were administered intraperitoneal injections (20 mg/kg) of BocMA and their urine was collected in intervals for 72 h. Metabolites were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with five authentic standards. RESULTS: Several metabolites including 4-hydroxy-BocMA, N-tert-butoxycarbonylephedrine and N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-cathinone were detected for HLM and RLM. In the administration test, three glucuronides of hydroxylated metabolites were detected. The total recovery values of BocMA and the metabolites during the first 72 h accounted for only 0.3% of the administered dose. Throughout the microsomal and administration experiments, MAs were not detected. CONCLUSION: Hydroxylation, carbonylation and N-demethylation were proposed as metabolic pathways. However, BocMA and phase I metabolites were hardly detected in urine. This study provides useful information to interpret the possibility of BocMA intake as the cause of MA detection in biological sample.

Incorporation of five common hypnotics into hair after a single dose and application to a forensic case of drug facilitated crimes.

In order to obtain fundamental information on the disposition of hypnotics into hair after a single oral dose the quantitative hair analysis of triazolam (TZ), etizolam (EZ), flunitrazepam (FNZ), nitrazepam (NZ) and zolpidem (ZP) have been performed using a validated LC-MS/MS procedure. Hair specimens (straight, black) were collected from three subjects about one month and three months after a single 0.25 mg dose of TZ, 1 mg of EZ, 2 mg of FNZ, 5 mg of NZ and 10 mg of ZP tartrate. The subjects ingested just one out of five different hypnotics on each day, each of five days in turn. All ingested hypnotics have been detected in hair from each subject both one month and three months after intake, and their concentrations were in the range of 0.023-0.043 pg/hair strand (0.077-0.36 pg/mg) for TZ, 0.11-0.63 pg/hair strand (0.44-5.2 pg/mg) for EZ, 0.14-2.6 pg/hair strand (0.56-22 pg/mg) for FNZ, 0.33-1.7 pg/hair strand (1.3-17 pg/mg) for NZ and 20-40 pg/hair strand (120-270 pg/mg) for ZP. For FNZ and NZ, not only the parent drugs but also their metabolites, 7-amino-FNZ and 7-amino-NZ, were detected in the range of 2.3-9.2 pg/hair strand (9.2-82 pg/mg) and 2.4-9.1 pg/hair strand (8.0-55 pg/mg), respectively. The calculated incorporation ratios into hair against the dose were found to exhibit similarity between the four benzodiazepines. This finding suggests the ability to apply these quantitative data to approximately estimating the amounts of other benzodiazepines, which have similar chemical structures, in hair although it should be noted that the amounts of drugs in hair varies considerably depending on the hair color. On the other hand, the incorporation ratio of ZP showed 15-29 times higher than that of TZ, indicating that lipophilic ZP was more likely to incorporate into hair than benzodiazepines. In addition, the application of the present data to a drug-facilitated sexual assault was shown.

Incorporation of Methoxyphenamine into Hair in Early Stage after Intake.

In order to investigate the incorporation behavior of drugs into hair in early stage (within 24 h) after intake, time-course changes in drug distribution in black hair were carefully analyzed after a single oral administration of methoxyphenamine (MOP), a non-regulated analog of methamphetamine. Single-hair specimens collected by plucking with the roots intact at appropriate intervals post-intake were each divided into 1-mm segments from the proximal end, and MOP in each segment was determined by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry procedure. At 10 min after intake, MOP was not detected in any of the segments. MOP became detectable 30 min after intake in the hair bulb (0-1-mm segment from the proximal end) and 1 h after intake in the upper dermis zone (1-2-mm to 4-5-mm segments). The amount of MOP in the hair bulb increased rapidly over 3 h after intake and reached a maximum concentration of ∼100-900 pg/1-mm single hair (11-95 ng/mg) around 3-10 h after intake, whereas that in the upper dermis zone increased at a more gradual pace over 24 h and reached a plateau at ∼30-100 pg/1-mm hair (3-11 ng/mg). These differences can be attributed to the different incorporation mechanisms of the drug. Results from this study can further elucidate the drug incorporation mechanism, which is crucial for accurately interpreting results in hair analyses. Our findings also suggest that hair drug analysis with special attention to the hair root can serve as a useful complementary approach to urine- and blood-based testing in the field of forensic toxicology.

Dehydration-fragmentation mechanism of cathinones and their metabolites in ESI-CID.

Various cathinone-derived designer drugs (CATs) have recently appeared on the drug market. This study examined the mechanism for the generation of dehydrated ions for CATs during electrospray ionization collision-induced dissociation (ESI-CID). The generation mechanism of dehydrated ions is dependent on the amine classification in the cathinone skeleton, which is used in the identification of CATs. The two hydrogen atoms eliminated during the dehydration of cathinone (primary amine) and methcathinone (secondary amine) were determined, and the reaction mechanism was elucidated through the deuterium labeling experiments. The hydrogen atom bonded to the amine nitrogen was eliminated with the proton added during ESI, in both of the tested compounds. This provided evidence that CATs with tertiary amine structures (such as dimethylcathinone and α-pyrrolidinophenones [α-PPs]) do not undergo dehydration. However, it was shown that the two major tertiary amine metabolites (1-OH and 2″-oxo) of CATs generate dehydrated ions in ESI-CID. The dehydration mechanisms of the metabolites of α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (α-PBP) belongs to α-PPs were also investigated. Stable-isotope labeling showed the dehydration of the 1-OH metabolite following a simple mechanism where the hydroxy group was eliminated together with the proton added during ESI. In contrast, the dehydration mechanism of the 2″-oxo metabolite involved hydrogen atoms in three or more locations along with the carbonyl group oxygen, indicating that dehydration occurred via multiple mechanisms likely including the rearrangement reaction of hydrogen atoms. These findings presented herein indicate that the dehydrated ions in ESI-CID can be used for the structural identification of CATs.

Effects of lipophilicity and functional groups of synthetic cannabinoids on their blood concentrations and urinary excretion.

The influence of lipophilicity and functional groups of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) on their blood concentrations and urinary excretion has been studied by analyzing blood and urine specimens sampled from drivers who were involved in a car crashes under the influence of SCs. A total of 58 specimens (26 urine and 31 blood specimens), sampled within 13h of the occurrence, were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Fifteen SCs were detected in those specimens; the SCs detected were categorized as follows: Class 1, Naphthoyl/Benzoyl indole (EAM2201 and three other analogs); Class 2, Indole-3-carboxylate/carboxamide containing naphthol/quinol (5F-PB-22 and four other analogs); and Class 3, Indazole-3-carboxamide containing valine/tert-leucine derivative (5F-AMB and five other analogs). The calculated lipophilicity index log P, the octanol/water participation coefficient, of those SCs in Classes 1, 2, and 3 ranged between 5.01-8.14, 5.80-6.74 and 2.29-3.81, respectively. Class 3 SCs were detectable in 12 out of 13 urine specimens, but those in Classes 1 and 2 were not detected in urine. Our analytical results indicated that the boundary line for their detectability in urine lies between log P 4 and 5. The blood concentrations of Class 3 SCs varied widely (0.0036-31ng/ml) depending on their log P, while much smaller variation was observed among those in Class 2 (0.10-5.0ng/ml).

Incorporation of zolpidem and methoxyphenamine into white hair strands after single administrations: Influence of hair pigmentation on drug incorporation.

In order to investigate the influence of pigmentation on the incorporation of drugs into hair, time-course changes in drug distribution along non-pigmented (white) hairs as well as pigmented (black) hairs plucked from the same subject was observed following single administrations of two basic drugs with different properties, zolpidem and methoxyphenamine. These drugs in 1-mm sections of single hair specimens were each determined by a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric procedure. During the early stage (12-36 h) after intake, for black hairs, both drugs were detected over the entire area of hair root (4-5 mm in length), in which notable concentration of these drugs in the hair bulb (0-1-mm segment from the bottom of hair root, Region 1) and lower concentrations in the upper dermis zone (1-2-mm to 3-4-mm or to 4-5-mm segments, Region 2) were commonly observed. Meanwhile, for white hairs, high drug concentrations in Region 1 as detected in black hairs were not observed although only small amounts of these drugs were detected over Region 2. Subsequent time-course changes in the concentration of drugs in hair demonstrated that the drugs once incorporated into white hair via Region 2 decreased gradually over the period from 24 h to 35 days after intake, but those of black hairs remained almost unchanged. These findings revealed here suggest that hair pigments have two important roles in the distribution of drugs: (1) incorporation of drugs into hair via Region 1, and (2) retention of already incorporated drugs in the hair tissue. These findings would be useful for discussing individual drug-use history based on hair analysis in the forensic fields.

Metabolism of α-PHP and α-PHPP in humans and the effects of alkyl chain lengths on the metabolism of α-pyrrolidinophenone-type designer drugs.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the urinary metabolites of two common α-pyrrolidinophenones (PPs), α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone (α-PHP) and α-pyrrolidinoheptanophenone (α-PHPP). This report also aims to discuss the effects of alkyl chain lengths on the metabolism of PPs. METHODS: Urinary metabolites of α-PHP and α-PHPP have been investigated by analyzing urine samples from their users (n = 13 each) by liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry using reference standards of the metabolites synthesized in our laboratory. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: For both drugs, metabolites via reduction of the keto moiety (1-OH metabolites) and via oxidation of the pyrrolidine ring (2″-oxo metabolites) were identified, and those via oxidation of the terminal (ω) or penultimate (ω-1) positions of the alkyl chain were tentatively identified. Quantitative analysis indicated oxidation of the pyrrolidine ring to be the major metabolic pathway for α-PHP (side chain R: hexyl), but ω or ω-1 oxidation was the major metabolic pathway for α-PHPP (R: heptyl). Comparison of their metabolic profiles with those of analogs with a longer or shorter side chain (studied previously for R: butyl, pentyl, and octyl) revealed that the alkyl chain length strongly influences the metabolic pathway. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the quantification of metabolites of α-PHP and α-PHPP in authentic urine specimens collected from the users using their reference standards synthesized.

Incorporation of Zolpidem into Hair and Its Distribution after a Single Administration.

To obtain fundamental information on the drug incorporation into hair, time-course changes in drug distribution along single-strand hair were observed after a single oral administration of zolpidem (ZP), one of the most frequently used hypnotic agents. Quantitative sectional hair analyses of 1-mm segments were performed for each single-strand hair using a validated LC-MS/MS procedure. ZP was detected in all specimens plucked at 10 and 24 hours after a single dose, and the distribution ranged over the whole hair root (4-5 mm in length). A significantly high concentration of ZP was detected in the hair bulb region, whereas much lower concentrations were widely observed in the upper part of the hair root of those samples; this suggested that the incorporation of ZP occurred in two regions, mainly in the hair bulb and to a lesser extent in the upper dermis zone. The ZP-positive area formed lengths of up to 10-12 mm after a single administration, indicating that its incorporation from the hair bulb would continue for about 2 weeks. Time-course changes in the ZP concentration in the hair root additionally revealed that only a small portion of ZP that initially concentrated in the bulb was successively incorporated into the hair matrix and moved toward the keratinized region as hair grew. These findings should be taken into account upon discussing individual drug-use history based on hair analysis. The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging of ZP in the same kinds of hair specimens was also successfully achieved.

Reactive Sulfur Species-Mediated Activation of the Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway by 1,2-Naphthoquinone through Sulfenic Acids Formation under Oxidative Stress.

Sulfhydration by a hydrogen sulfide anion and electrophile thiolation by reactive sulfur species (RSS) such as persulfides/polysulfides (e.g., R-S-SH/R-S-Sn-H(R)) are unique reactions in electrophilic signaling. Using 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene-4-thioacetate (1,2-NQH2-SAc) as a precursor to 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene-4-thiol (1,2-NQH2-SH) and a generator of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we demonstrate that protein thiols can be modified by a reactive sulfenic acid to form disulfide adducts that undergo rapid cleavage in the presence of glutathione (GSH). As expected, 1,2-NQH2-SAc is rapidly hydrolyzed and partially oxidized to yield 1,2-NQ-SH, resulting in a redox cycling reaction that produces ROS through a chemical disproportionation reaction. The sulfenic acid forms of 1,2-NQ-SH and 1,2-NQH2-SH were detected by derivatization experiments with dimedone. 1,2-NQH2-SOH modified Keap1 at Cys171 to produce a Keap1-S-S-1,2-NQH2 adduct. Subsequent exposure of A431 cells to 1,2-NQ or 1,2-NQH2-SAc caused an extensive chemical modification of cellular proteins in both cases. Protein adduction by 1,2-NQ through a thio ether (C-S-C) bond slowly declined through a GSH-dependent S-transarylation reaction, whereas that originating from 1,2-NQH2-SAc through a disulfide (C-S-S-C) bond was rapidly restored to the free protein thiol in the cells. Under these conditions, 1,2-NQH2-SAc activated Nrf2 and upregulated its target genes, which were enhanced by pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), to deplete cellular GSH. Pretreatment of catalase conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol) suppressed Nrf2 activation by 1,2-NQH2-SAc. These results suggest that RSS-mediated reversible electrophilic signaling takes place through sulfenic acids formation under oxidative stress.

Metabolism of the designer drug α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (α-PBP) in humans: identification and quantification of the phase I metabolites in urine.

Urinary phase I metabolites of α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (α-PBP) in humans were investigated by analyzing urine specimens obtained from drug abusers. Unequivocal identification and accurate quantification of major metabolites were realized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with newly synthesized authentic standards. Two major phase I metabolic pathways were revealed: (1) reduction of the ketone group to 1-phenyl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)butan-1-ol (OH-α-PBP, diastereomers) partly followed by conjugation to its glucuronide and (2) oxidation at the 2″-position of the pyrrolidine ring to α-(2″-oxo-pyrrolidino)butiophenone (2″-oxo-α-PBP) via the putative intermediate α-(2″-hydroxypyrrolidino)butiophenone (2″-OH-α-PBP). Of the phase I metabolites retaining the structural characteristics of the parent drug, OH-α-PBP was the most abundant in all specimens examined. Comparison of the phase I metabolism of α-PBP and α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP) suggested a relationship between the aliphatic side chain length and the metabolic pathways in α-pyrrolidinophenones: the shorter aliphatic side chain (1) led to more extensive metabolism via reduction of the ketone group than via the oxidation at the 2″-position of the pyrrolidine ring and (2) influenced the isomeric ratio of a pair of diastereomers.

Glutathione-mediated reversibility of covalent modification of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 by 1,2-naphthoquinone through Cys152, but not Lys4.

Covalent modification of cellular proteins by electrophiles affects electrophilic signal transduction and the dysfunction of enzymes that is involved in cytotoxicity. We have recently found a unique reaction which restores glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) that has been modified by 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ) through a glutathione (GSH)-dependent S-transarylation reaction. We report here that ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) undergoes the same reaction. Exposure of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells to 1,2-NQ after pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) to deplete GSH resulted in an enhancement of covalent modification of UCH-L1 by 1,2-NQ. With recombinant human UCH-L1, we demonstrated that UCH-L1 underwent arylation by 1,2-NQ through Cys152 and Lys4, thereby decreasing its catalytic activity. Addition of GSH to an incubation mixture of 1,2-NQ-UCH-L1 adduct partially restored this decline in enzyme activity which was accompanied by decreased covalent attachment of 1,2-NQ, together with production of 1,2-NQ-GSH adduct. UCH-L1 in which Lys4 was mutated exhibited a lower level of covalent modification and enzyme inhibition, but completely recovered after addition of GSH. Taken together, these results suggest that Cys152 modification in UCH-L1 by 1,2-NQ is reversible via GSH-mediated S-transarylation reaction whereas Lys4 modification by 1,2-NQ is irreversible by GSH. Because UCH-L1 dysfunction has been associated with neurodegeneration, the electrophilic modification of Lys rather than Cys in UCH-L1 may be implicated in such neurodegenerative diseases.

Critical contribution of oxidative stress to TNFα-induced necroptosis downstream of RIPK1 activation.

While apoptosis has been considered to be identical to programmed cell death, necroptosis, which is morphologically related to necrosis, has emerged as a novel type of programmed cell death. Necroptosis depends on two structurally related kinases, receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase (RIPK)1 and RIPK3. RIPK1 is activated through oligomerization of upstream adaptor molecules such as Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD) and TNF receptor-associated death domain (TRADD) that are triggered by TNFα or Fas ligand. Activated RIPK1 subsequently interacts with and activates RIPK3, resulting in necroptosis. However, contribution of oxidative stress to execution of necroptosis is still controversial. We found that a selective inhibitor for RIPK1, necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) significantly blocked TNFα-induced cell death and ROS accumulation in NF-κB activation-deficient cells. This suggests that these cells mostly died by necroptosis upon TNFα stimulation. Intriguingly, an antioxidant, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) blocked TNFα-induced necroptosis and ROS accumulation in NF-κB activation-deficient cells. However, Nec-1, but not BHA, inhibited TNFα-induced phosphorylation of RIPK1 in these cells, suggesting that ROS play a crucial role in execution of necroptosis downstream of RIPK1 activation. Structural and functional analyses using BHA related compounds revealed that both tert-butyl and hydroxy groups of BHA are crucial for its anti-necroptotic function. Together, these results suggest that TNFα-induced necroptosis is tightly associated with oxidative stress, and oxidative stress is induced downstream of RIPK1 activation.

GSH-mediated S-transarylation of a quinone glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase conjugate.

Many cellular proteins with reactive thiols form covalent bonds with electrophiles, thereby modifying their structures and activities. Here, we describe the recovery of a glycolytic protein, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), from such an electrophilic attack by 1,2-napthoquinone (1,2-NQ). GAPDH readily formed a covalent bond with 1,2-NQ through Cys152 at a low concentration (0.2 µM) in a cell-free system, but when human epithelial A549 cells were exposed to this quinone at 20 µM, only minimal binding was observed although extensive binding to numerous other cellular proteins occurred. Depletion of cellular glutathione (GSH) with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) resulted in some covalent modification of cellular GAPDH by 1,2-NQ and a significant reduction of GAPDH activity in the cells. Incubation of native, but not boiled, human GAPDH that had been modified by 1,2-NQ with GSH resulted in a concentration-dependent removal of 1,2-NQ from the GAPDH conjugate, accompanied by partial recovery of lost catalytic activity and formation of a 1,2-NQ-GSH adduct (1,2-NQ-SG). While GAPDH is recognized as a multifunctional protein, our results show that GAPDH also has a unique ability to recover from electrophilic modification by 1,2-NQ through a GSH-dependent S-transarylation reaction.