Determination of the Designer Drugs 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, 3,4-Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, and 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine with HPLC and Fluorescence Detection in Whole Blood, Serum, Vitreous Humor, and Urine

A method using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, accurately measures the designer drugs MDMA, MDEA, and their metabolite MDA in whole blood, serum, vitreous humor, and urine. The method is linear from 2 to 1000 μg/L for blood, serum, and vitreous humor, and from 0.1 to 5 mg/L for urine, with detection limits as low as 0.8 μg/L. Extraction recoveries exceed 70%, and imprecision ranges from 2.5% to 19%. In a rabbit thanatochemical distribution study, serum MDMA concentrations ranged from 5.3 to 685 μg/L, and whole blood MDMA from 19.7 to 710 μg/L. For routine toxicology urine samples, MDMA concentrations reached up to 157 mg/L.

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Abstract

Abstract Background: The popular designer drugs 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) can be determined in serum, whole blood, and urine, but also in vitreous humor. The latter matrix is interesting when dealing with decomposed bodies in a toxicological setting. Methods: After extraction, chromatographic separation was achieved on a narrow-bore C18 column by gradient elution with fluorometric detection; results were confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results: The method was linear over the range of 2–1000 μg/L for whole blood, serum, and vitreous humor, and 0.1–5 mg/L for urine. Extraction recoveries were >70%, imprecision (CV) was 2.5–19%, and analytical recoveries were 95.5–104.4%. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.8 and 2 μg/L, respectively, for whole blood, serum, and vitreous humor, and 2.5 μg/L and 0.1 mg/L, respectively, for urine. Excellent correlations between the quantitative LC-fluorescence and LC-MS/MS results were obtained. We found the following concentrations in a thanatochemical distribution study in rabbits: in serum, 5.3–685 μg/L for MDMA and from the LOQ to 14.5 μg/L for 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA); in whole blood, 19.7–710 μg/L for MDMA and from the LOQ to 17.8 μg/L for MDA; in vitreous humor, 12.1–97.8 μg/L for MDMA and from the LOQ to 3.86 μg/L for MDA. In routine toxicological urine samples, concentrations ranged from LOQ to 14.62 mg/L for MDA, from LOQ to 157 mg/L for MDMA, and from LOQ to 32.54 mg/L for MDEA. Conclusions: The HPLC method described is sensitive, specific, and suitable for the determination of MDMA, MDEA, and MDA in whole blood, serum, vitreous humor, and urine.