Toxicological Advancements in Cocaine Detection: A Review.

Cocaine, also known as methyl benzoylecgonine, is one of the most used drugs of abuse and one of the oldest; however, there has been a recent increase in the consumption of this substance. This trend has once again caught the attention of the scientific community. We discuss the current knowledge about this drug, focusing our attention on the forensic approach. Despite the fact that the cut-off of positivity to cocaine in drug tests is quite high, most current tests are able to detect much lower concentrations and could improve forensic sciences in both post-mortem investigations and in people screening. Immunological assays possessing substantial cross-reactivity to cocaine are particularly useful for screening oral fluid, hair, and post-mortem blood, where significant concentrations of the drug can be found. Liquid chromatography has now supplanted the previous techniques because it is very sensitive and specific and allows samples to be analyzed in a shorter time with only minimal sample preparation. Recent studies have focused on increased sensitivity, reduced processing times, and cheaper analysis.

Nandrolone Decanoate: Use, Abuse and Side Effects.

Background and Objectives: Androgens play a significant role in the development of male reproductive organs. The clinical use of synthetic testosterone derivatives, such as nandrolone, is focused on maximizing the anabolic effects and minimizing the androgenic ones. Class II anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), including nandrolone, are rapidly becoming a widespread group of drugs used both clinically and illicitly. The illicit use of AAS is diffused among adolescent and bodybuilders because of their anabolic proprieties and their capacity to increase tolerance to exercise. This systematic review aims to focus on side effects related to illicit AAS abuse, evaluating the scientific literature in order to underline the most frequent side effects on AAS abusers' bodies. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed using the PubMed database and the keywords "nandrolone decanoate". The inclusion criteria for articles or abstracts were English language and the presence of the following words: "abuse" or "adverse effects". After applying the exclusion and inclusion criteria, from a total of 766 articles, only 148 were considered eligible for the study. Results: The most reported adverse effects (found in more than 5% of the studies) were endocrine effects (18 studies, 42%), such as virilization, gynecomastia, hormonal disorders, dyslipidemia, genital alterations, and infertility; cardiovascular dysfunctions (six studies, 14%) such as vascular damage, coagulation disorders, and arteriosus hypertension; skin disorders (five studies, 12%) such as pricking, acne, and skin spots; psychiatric and mood disorders (four studies, 9%) such as aggressiveness, sleep disorders and anxiety; musculoskeletal disorders (two studies, 5%), excretory disorders (two studies, 5%), and gastrointestinal disorders (two studies, 5%). Conclusions: Based on the result of our study, the most common adverse effects secondary to the abuse of nandrolone decanoate (ND) involve the endocrine, cardiovascular, skin, and psychiatric systems. These data could prove useful to healthcare professionals in both sports and clinical settings.