3-MeO-PCP intoxication in two young men: First in vivo detection in Italy.

Two young men, aged 19 and 21, were admitted to a hospital in a comatose state with respiratory acidosis, dilated pupils, and hypothermia after consuming 3-MeO-PCP, a dissociative anesthetic similar to phencyclidine, along with alcohol. Blood alcohol levels were 2.0 g/L and 1.7 g/L. They required intubation for 7-8 hours and remained delirious for nearly 24 hours. Toxicological analysis of blood and urine using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS detected 3-MeO-PCP at concentrations of 350.0 and 180.1 ng/mL in blood and 6109.2 and 3003.6 ng/mL in urine. The symptoms likely resulted from the combined effects of 3-MeO-PCP and alcohol. This is one of the few documented intoxication cases and the first reported in Italy, highlighting the need for broad analytical methods to detect new psychoactive substances.

Study at a glance

Abstract

3-MeO-PCP or 3-methoxyphencyclidine is a derivative of phencyclidine. It acts as a dissociative anesthetic and it has allegedly hallucinogenic and sedative effects. There are almost no documented intoxication cases and references about its pharmacology and toxicity in literature. This study presents two concomitant intoxication cases due to consumption of 3-MeO-PCP and alcohol. A 19 (A) and a 21 years old (B) men were brought to Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in a comatose state (Glasgow score 3). They showed respiratory acidosis, right anisocoria with mydriatic pupils and hypothermia. Toxicological screening was negative. They were intubated for 7-8h. Almost 24h after hospitalization they were still in a delirious and agitated status. The subjects declared a high alcohol consumption and ingestion of unknown pills. Blood and urine were collected upon their arrival to the Emergency Department and sent to our Forensic Toxicology Division. Blood alcohol content was 2.0g/L for subject A and 1,7g/L for subject B. The specimens were analyzed by means of GC-MS, revealing the presence of 3-MeO-PCP. A confirmation and quantification was carried out by means of a new and fully validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for new psychoactive substances (NPS) detection. The analysis was performed adding acetonitrile to the samples, the supernatant was dried and reconstituted with methanol. Mephedrone-D3 was used as internal standard. Acquisition was performed through multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) dynamic mode. The MRM transitions used for quantification of 3-MeO-PCP were: m/z 274→86, 121. 3-MeO-PCP was quantified in all the biological samples at the following concentrations: 350.0 (blood) and 6109.2 (urine) ng/mL for A; 180.1 (blood) and 3003.6 (urine) ng/mL for B. Taking into account the analytical results, we can suppose that the manifested symptoms were due to the consumption of 3-MeO-PCP in synergy with alcohol. Our report is the first case of 3-MeO-PCP intoxication in Italy and one of the few documented all over the world. For this reason, this case represents a significant worrisome alarm about the spread of this substance. Here we want to highlight the importance of having an effective and broad-spectrum analytical method in order to face the NPS issue.