Comparative study of the levels of drug abuse in samples of vitreous humor and blood using V-EASI-MS

• Grant number: 12/24775-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Nelci Fenalti Höehr
• Grantee: Nelci Fenalti Höehr
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Roberto Rittner Neto

Abstract

Although amphetamines have been banned in Brazil, they are still illegally sold as well as the cannabinoids, which account for a public health task to be faced in this country. The major challenge is to obtain material for investigation exams. The vitreous humor constitutes a good alternative for these exams, since it occurs isolated in a protected space, free of external contamination and of microorganisms and traumatisms, and also due to its analytical stability and sterility preserving it for a long period after death. Moreover, the vitreous humor constitutes an excellent sample for the determination of xenobiotics even in polytraumatized bodies, carbonized or in decomposition, involved in the causa mortis. In this project, the V-EASI-MS technique will be used, once it is easy to use and install, not requiring nitrogen flow, eluent flow and other factors used in commercial sources. However, the use of this technique requires compounds characterization in these complex systems which will be performed through the V-ESI-MS and MS "Fingerprinting" (direct injection). An important alternative will be the use of molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs), which are synthetic polymeric materials with specific recognizing sites, leading to an easy capture of the analyte in complex samples, which leads to time saving as well to reduce analysis costs. Thus, the aim of the present work is the development of analytical strategies complementing the V-EASI-MS technique, for the analysis of drugs (amphetamines, cannabinoids and opiates) occurring in the vitreous humor and to correlate the observed values with their plasmatic levels (whole blood). In addition, the same samples will be analyzed by HPLC, to validate the results. The development of new methodologies in forensic toxicology area will lead to its scientific improvement, as well as to upgrade the researchers and professionals knowledge in this relevant field for Brazilian Science and Technology. (AU)