Drug‐facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) involving 4‐methylethcathinone (4‐MEC), 3,4‐Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), and doxylamine highlighted by hair analysis

Abstract

Recently, the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has led to their wide use among clubbers and men who have sex with men (MSM) for their stimulant effects. However, their use in drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) has rarely been described. Herein we report a case of a 44-year-old man who was assaulted after a party. Due to late reporting of the offense, only hair (black) was sampled 15 days later and a segmental analysis was achieved to look for most DFSA agents and NPS. Twenty mg of each segment (A: 0-1 cm, B: 1-3 cm, and C: 3-5 cm) were incubated in phosphate buffer pH 5.0. After alkaline liquid extraction and chromatographic separation on 1.9 μm Hypersil GOLD PFP column, compounds were detected by a TSQ Vantage mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization in positive mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) acquisition. 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC), methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and doxylamine were found in proximal segment at very low concentrations (3, 5, and 9 pg/mg, respectively) which is in agreement with a single exposure in the previous month corresponding to the alleged facts. These substances were not detected in segments B and C showing a lack of repetitive exposure before the alleged event. Thus, the results do not contradict the patient's claim of being assaulted. Doxylamine has already been encountered in such cases but no publications referring to 4-MEC or MDPV use have ever been documented. Our case reports the unusual administration of cathinones to achieve a sexual assault and stresses the interest of looking for designer drugs when dealing with DFSA cases.

Application of a molecular networking approach for clinical and forensic toxicology exemplified in three cases involving 3‐MeO‐PCP, doxylamine, and chlormequat

“…20 Our last case (Case 3) shows that clustering by spectral similarity (a) improves the annotation and classification of previously require advanced bioinformatics skills. 20 Our last case (Case 3) shows that clustering by spectral similarity (a) improves the annotation and classification of previously require advanced bioinformatics skills.…”

“…In a recent drug-facilitation sexual assault (DFSA) case report involving doxylamine, the authors only quantified doxylamine in hair matrix. 20 Our last case (Case 3) shows that clustering by spectral similarity (a) improves the annotation and classification of previously for each mass spectrometer, in order to avoid common pitfalls and provide high-quality data. In our study we observed that a resolution of 70 000 is not optimal since it is obtained at the expenses of lower MS/MS acquisition scan rates.…”

Towards a better understanding of adult idiopathic epidermal necrolysis: a retrospective study of 19 cases

“…Data were collected in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode with 2 transitions per analyte. The extraction procedure for screened compounds was derived from previously published methods and adapted to 200 µL plasma sample 13,14 …”

“…The extraction procedure for screened compounds was derived from previously published methods and adapted to 200 µL plasma sample. 13,14 These chromatographic methods allowed for screening several hundred analytes including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as 'oxicams', anticonvulsant drugs such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, lamotrigine, phenobarbital, antiretroviral drugs, nevirapine, trimethoprim incriminated in IEN and also antidepressants, analgesics, cardiotropic drugs, conventional drug of abuse and new psychoactive drugs to investigate an occult drug intake.…”

Interpol review of toxicology 2016–2019

“… Case history Analytical method Findings Chloroform [ 182 ] 26 years old woman declared that her partner get her to sleep with chloroform previous night. HS-G-MS Chloroform in blood at 580μg/L Cathinones & doxylamine [ 183 ] 44-year-old man was sexually assaulted by two men after a party. Hair was sampled 15 days later.…”