A Direct Aqueous Derivatization GSMS Method for Determining Benzoylecgonine Concentrations in Human Urine

A sensitive and reliable method for extraction and quantification of benzoylecgonine (BZE) and cocaine (COC) in urine is presented. Propyl-chloroformate was used as derivatizing agent, and it was directly added to the urine sample: the propyl derivative and COC were then recovered by liquid-liquid extraction procedure. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect the analytes in selected ion monitoring mode. The method proved to be precise for BZE and COC both in term of intraday and interday analysis, with a coefficient of variation (CV) 2>0.999 and >0.997, respectively) within the range investigated. The method, applied to thirty authentic samples, showed to be very simple, fast, and reliable, so it can be easily applied in routine analysis for the quantification of BZE and COC in urine samples

Clinical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluations of metronomic UFT and cyclophosphamide plus celecoxib in patients with advanced refractory gastrointestinal cancers

Aims. To evaluate UFT and cyclophosphamide (CTX) based metronomic chemotherapy plus celecoxib (CXB) for the treatment of patients with heavily pre-treated advanced gastrointestinal malignancies. Methods. Thirty-eight patients received 500 mg/mq2 CTX i.v bolus on day 1 and, from day 2, 50 mg/day CTX p.o. plus 100 mg/twice a day UFT p.o. and 200 mg/twice a day CXB p.o. Tegafur, 5-FU, 5-FUH2, GHB and uracil pharmacokinetics were assessed. Plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble VE-cadherin (sVE-C) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) levels were detected by ELISA and real-time PCR of CD133 gene expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cell was also performed. Results Seventeen patients (45%) obtained stable disease (SD) with a median duration of 5.8 ms (range, 4.2–7.4). Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 2.7 ms (95% CI, 1.6–3.9 ms) and 7.1 ms (95% CI, 4.3–9.9 ms), respectively. No toxicities of grade >1 were observed. Pharmacokinetics of 27 patients (13/14, SD/progressive disease, PD) after the first treatment of UFT revealed that 5-FU AUC and Cmax values greater than 1.313 h x microg/ml and 0.501 microg/ml, respectively, were statistically correlated with stabilization of disease and prolonged PFS/OS. VEGF and sVE-C plasma levels were greater in the PD group when compared to SD group. CD133 expression increased only in the PD patients. Conclusion. Metronomic UFT and CTX with CXB in heavily pre-treated gastrointestinal patients were well tolerated and associated with interesting activity. Potential predictive pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic biomarkers have been found

A METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR ASSESSING WHETHER A DRUG OF ABUSE AND/OR A METABOLITE THEREOF IS PRESENT IN A KERATIN MATERIAL

A method and a device, for assessing whether a drug of abuse and/or a metabolite of a drug of abuse is present in a keratin material, where the method includes extracting a drug of abuse and/or a metabolite from a subject’s keratin material, by prearranging an amount of the keratin material; prearrang ing an extraction composition; bringing the keratin material into contact with the extraction composition in order to obtain an extract that contains the drug of abuse and/or the metabo lite, wherein the extraction composition contains a compound selected among urea and urea derivatives

METODO E DISPOSITIVO PER ANALISI DI DROGHE D'ABUSO SU MATERIALE CHERATINICO

Il metodo consente di estrarre dalla matrice cheratinica (capelli) le sostanze stupefacenti eventualmente presenti in maniera da poter essere analizzate con metodi immunocromatografici presenti nel commercio e quindi di facile utilità per la pololazion

La tossicologia forense

L’etanolo o alcol etilico (abitualmente denominato “alcool”), da un punto di vista chimico è un liquido incolore di formula CH3CH2OH che si genera in seguito al processo di fermentazione alcolica a cui vanno incontro alcuni zuccheri semplici. Si trova presente a concentrazioni variabili nelle più comuni e diffuse bevande consumate quotidianamente, tra le quali il vino e la birra e per questo motivo rientra sicuramente tra le sostanze più utilizzate in grado di apportare, in funzione della quantità assunta, importanti alterazioni comportamentali sul soggetto che ne fa uso. Secondo quanto riportato dall’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità, l’assunzione di bevande alcoliche da parte del conducente è la terza causa, dopo l’eccesso di velocità ed il mancato utilizzo dei dispositivi di sicurezza, di incidenti stradali mortali. Inoltre, l’alcool si pone poco al di sotto del tabacco e dell’ipertensione come fattore di rischio per la salute