Another PMA‐related fatality In Adelaide

Byard, Roger W.; James, Rosemary; Gilbert, John D.; Felgate, Peter D.

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1999.tb127691.x

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…PMA and MDMA are structurally and pharmacologically similar, producing there effects through serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic mechanisms 12. The recent case reports of PMA‐related deaths in South Australia13,14 suggest that PMA is more toxic than MDMA, but do not provide a clinical explanation for this difference. A recent clinical study has shown that most people with PMA poisoning present with clinical features that are qualitatively similar to those of people with ecstasy poisoning such as hyperthermia, coma, and seizures, but that these symptoms occur more frequently and are more severe in those who took PMA 12.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Effects of Substituted Amphetamines (PMA, MDMA, and METH) on Monoamines in Rat Caudate

Gough

Imam

Blough

et al. 2002

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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Paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA) is a methoxylated phenethylamine derivative that has been used illicitly in Australia since 1994. PMA is also becoming popular at rave parties in the United States. PMA raised concern when a series of fatalities resulted after its use in South Australia, where it was marketed as “ecstasy,” which is the colloquial name for MDMA. In the present study, we evaluated the comparative neurotoxicity of substituted amphetamines in rats. Extracellular levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), serotonin (5‐HT), and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5‐HIAA) were assayed in the caudate of freely moving rats using microdialysis and HPLC‐EC. Dialysates were assayed every 20 minutes for 4 hours after an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of PMA (2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg), MDMA (10 and 20 mg/kg), or METH (2.5 mg/kg). METH produced a significant increase in extracellular DA (700%), and significant decreases in extracellular DOPAC and HVA (30% and 50%), with no detectable changes in either 5‐HT or 5‐HIAA. MDMA produced significant increases in DA (700% at 10 mg/kg and 950% at 20 mg/kg) and decreases in DOPAC (15% for both 10 and 20 mg/kg), and HVA (50% at 10 mg/kg and 35% at 20 mg/kg). MDMA also increased 5‐HT (350% at 10, and 575% at 20 mg/kg), and decreased 5‐HIAA to 60% for both dose levels. PMA produced no detectable increases in DA at dose levels of 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg, but significantly increased DA (975%) at a dose of 20 mg/kg. However, PMA significantly decreased DOPAC at all dose levels (75% at 2.5; 40% at 5; 30% at 10; 10% at 20 mg/kg), with comparable decreases in HVA at all dose levels. PMA also produced significant increases in 5‐HT at 10 and 20 mg/kg (350% for both dose levels), with no detectable changes in 5‐HT at 2.5 or 5 mg/kg. All dose levels of PMA significantly decreased 5‐HIAA (50 to 70%). These data suggest that PMA, like MDMA and METH, is capable of producing dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotoxicity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Effects of Substituted Amphetamines (PMA, MDMA, and METH) on Monoamines in Rat Caudate

Gough

Imam

Blough

et al. 2002

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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“…In femoral blood, a concentration of 0.85 mg/L was reported in Germany 2002 (n = 1) and 0.6-3.1 mg/L in Denmark 2000 (n = 2) [8,9]. For PMA fatalities, postmortem blood concentrations ranging from 0.24 to 5.7 mg/L are reported [1,2,8,9,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. In the majority of the 22 non-fatal intoxications, the whole blood PMMA concentration at the time of sampling was low or moderate, and within the range associated with recreational use of PMMA and PMA [1].…”

Section: Comparison Of Blood Drug Concentrations In Fatal and Non-fatmentioning

confidence: 99%

The PMMA epidemic in Norway: Comparison of fatal and non-fatal intoxications

Vevelstad

Øiestad

Middelkoop

et al. 2012

Forensic Science International

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During a 6 month period (July 2010-January 2011) we observed 12 fatal intoxications and 22 non-fatal cases related to the drug paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA) in Norway (4.8 mill inhabitants). This toxic designer drug, also known as "Death", is occasionally found in street drugs offered as "ecstasy" or "amphetamine". The present study aimed to evaluate the cause of death, and to compare the PMMA blood concentrations in fatal and non-fatal cases. Methods for identification and quantification of PMMA are presented. The median age of fatalities was 30 years (range 15-50) with 67% males; in non-fatal cases 27 years (20-47) with 86% males. In the 12 fatalities, the median PMMA blood concentration was 1.92 mg/L (range 0.17-3.30), which is in the reported lethal range of 0.6-3.1 mg/L in peripheral blood and 1.2-15.8 mg/L in heart blood. In the 22 non-fatal cases, the median PMMA concentration was 0.07 mg/L (range 0.01-0.65). Poly-drug use was frequent both in fatal and non-fatal cases. The PMA concentrations ranging from 0.00 to 0.26 mg/L in both groups likely represented a PMMA metabolite. Three fatalities were attributed to PMMA only, six to PMMA and other psychostimulant drugs, and three to PMMA and CNS depressant drugs, with median PMMA concentrations of 3.05 mg/L (range 1.58-3.30), 2.56 (1.52-3.23) and 0.52 mg/L (0.17-1.24), respectively. Eight victims were found dead, while death was witnessed in four cases, with symptoms of acute respiratory distress, hyperthermia, cardiac arrest, convulsions, sudden collapse and/or multiple organ failure. In summary, all fatalities attributed to PMMA had high PMMA blood concentrations compared to non-fatal cases. Our sample size was too small to evaluate a possible impact of poly-drug use. A public warning is warranted against use and overdose with illegal "ecstasy" or "speed" drugs.

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“…This drug has been associated with a great number of lethal intoxications in Europe, [1,2] United States, [3,4] and Australia. [5] Monitoring of amphetamines and designer drugs in biological fluids is successfully used for clinical and forensic application and in surveillance of drug substitution. To date, the determination of p-methoxyamphetamine in biological samples has been mainly on gas chromatography coupled with several detection methods, such as mass spectrometry (GC-MS) [3,6] and nitrogen phosphorus detector (NPD).…”

Section: Determination Of P-methoxyamphetamine By Capillary Electrophmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of p‐Methoxyamphetamine by Capillary Electrophoresis with Diode Array Detection from Urine and Plasma Samples

Nieddu

Boatto

Sini

et al. 2007

Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies

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In recent years, a number of newer designer drugs have entered the illicit drug market. The amphetamine derivatives represent the largest group of designer drugs. This paper describes a method for quantifying p-methoxyamphetamine in human plasma and urine by capillary electrophoresis with a diode array detector. Using an aqueous pH 2.5 phosphate buffer, CE analysis gave peaks with good symmetry and reproducible migration time. Under these experimental conditions, the p-methoxyamphetamine was resolved in 7 min and without interferences from biological matrices. The identification using the migration time was confirmed by UV spectra recorded with a diode array detector DAD (190-350 nm). Prior to CE-DAD analysis, a simple solid phase extraction (SPE) was used for sample cleanup. The main advantages of the present method lie in its simplicity and clean and reliable extraction from plasma and urine. The method was validated according to international guidelines.

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Another PMA‐related fatality In Adelaide

Cited by 16 publications

References 4 publications

Comparative Effects of Substituted Amphetamines (PMA, MDMA, and METH) on Monoamines in Rat Caudate

Comparative Effects of Substituted Amphetamines (PMA, MDMA, and METH) on Monoamines in Rat Caudate

The PMMA epidemic in Norway: Comparison of fatal and non-fatal intoxications

Determination of p‐Methoxyamphetamine by Capillary Electrophoresis with Diode Array Detection from Urine and Plasma Samples

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