Forensic significance of concentrations of ethanol in brain tissues following induced acute subdural hemorrhage

Takahashi, Kou; Ikeda, Noriaki; Kudo, Kazuhiko; Funayama, Masato

doi:10.1007/s004140000198

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The accumulation of kerosene components in adipose tissue during the post-exposure period was not observed in the rats that received post-mortem exposure. These results suggest that kerosene is absorbed through the skin and [22]. The minimal vital period of time to detect kerosene components in tissues from dermal exposure has not been addressed in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Distribution of kerosene components in rats following dermal exposure

et al. 2002

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The systemic distribution of kerosene components in blood and tissues was analysed in rats following dermal exposure. Four types of trimethylbenzenes (TMBs) and aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) with carbon numbers 9-16 (C(9)-C(16)) were analysed as major kerosene components by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The kerosene components were detected in blood and all tissues after a small piece of cotton soaked with kerosene was applied to the abdominal skin. The amounts of TMBs detected were higher than those of AHCs. Greater increases in TMB levels were found in adipose tissue in an exposure duration-dependent manner. The amounts of TMBs detected were only at trace levels following post-mortem dermal exposure to kerosene. These findings suggest that kerosene components were absorbed percutaneously and distributed to various organs via the blood circulation. Post-mortem or ante-mortem exposure to kerosene could be distinguished when the exposure duration was relatively long. Adipose tissue would seem to be the most useful for estimating the degree of kerosene exposure.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Distribution of kerosene components in rats following dermal exposure

et al. 2002

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“…The presented method used t-butanol as the ISTD and a simple dilution of tissue homogenates. The ISTD t-butanol was chosen because it is not a post-mortem artifact like n-propanol, and it is widely used (9,12,15,19 (12) was from 500 to 4,000 mg/kg. In this study, the range was extended and the LOD/LOQ set administratively at 100 mg/kg for ethanol, acetone, isopropanol and methanol, and 110 mg/kg for n-propanol.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Blood concentrations are used as indicators of intoxication in human performance testing such as driving under the influence or in post-mortem cases. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is used as the standard to which the alcohol concentrations in other biological specimens are compared (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Alcohol analysis is generally performed either using direct injection gas chromatography (GC) or headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) with flame ionization detection (FID).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a highly vascularized tissue with a rich blood supply, the brain displays rapid alcohol equilibrium with blood (8) and thus may be a good indicator of ante-mortem BAC. In cases where there is an acute subdural hemorrhage from head trauma and the victim survives hours before death, peripheral blood may become unreliable due to ongoing metabolism, yet ethanol concentration in brain tissues underneath the subdural hematoma may still reflect the concentration at the time of injury (9). Though the value of brain as an alternative specimen for post-mortem alcohol analysis cannot be overstated, unlike other specimens, there have been few studies performed to analyze alcohol concentrations in brain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and Validation of a Method for Alcohol Analysis in Brain Tissue by Headspace Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector

Chun

Poklis

et al. 2016

J Anal Toxicol

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Ethanol is the most widely used and abused drug. While blood is the preferred specimen for analysis, tissue specimens such as brain serve as alternative specimens for alcohol analysis in post-mortem cases where blood is unavailable or contaminated. A method was developed using headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (HS-GC-FID) for the detection and quantification of ethanol, acetone, isopropanol, methanol and n-propanol in brain tissue specimens. Unfixed volatile-free brain tissue specimens were obtained from the Department of Pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Calibrators and controls were prepared from 4-fold diluted homogenates of these brain tissue specimens, and were analyzed using t-butanol as the internal standard. The chromatographic separation was performed with a Restek BAC2 column. A linear calibration was generated for all analytes (mean r 2 > 0.9992) with the limits of detection and quantification of 100-110 mg/kg. Matrix effect from the brain tissue was determined by comparing the slopes of matrix prepared calibration curves with those of aqueous calibration curves; no significant differences were observed for ethanol, acetone, isopropanol, methanol and n-propanol. The bias and the CVs for all volatile controls were ≤10%. The method was also evaluated for carryover, selectivity, interferences, bench-top stability and freeze-thaw stability. The HS-GC-FID method was determined to be reliable and robust for the analysis of ethanol, acetone, isopropanol, methanol and n-propanol concentrations in brain tissue, effectively expanding the specimen options for post-mortem alcohol analysis.

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“…However, the interpretation of post-mortem concentrations of many substances differs substantially from in vivo quantified levels. In particular, post-mortem instability and redistribution can be important interfering factors, as has been demonstrated for example, for ethanol [1] and also barbiturates [2], cocaine [3], and dothiepin [4]. Post-mortem distribution has also been investigated for more scarcely encountered substances in forensic practice such as laudanosine [5] and dichloromethane [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-mortem redistribution of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") in the rabbit

et al. 2002

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Post-mortem redistribution is known to influence blood and tissue levels of various drugs. An animal model was used in an attempt to elucidate this problem for the amphetamine analogue, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Rabbits received 1 mg/kg MDMA intravenously (iv) and were killed 2 h later in order to simulate the state of complete distribution in the body. MDMA and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) concentrations were determined in blood, urine, bile, vitreous humour, and various tissues (eye globe walls, brain, cardiac muscle, lungs, liver, kidneys, iliopsoas muscle and adipose tissue) using a high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedure with fluorescence detection. In the first group (control group, sampling immediately post mortem) considerable MDMA concentrations were found in the brain and both lungs. In addition, our data indicate the elimination of MDMA by hepatic biotransformation and excretion via the bile. When the animals were preserved either 24 or 72 h post mortem (second group), an increase of MDMA and MDA levels in the liver and the eye globe walls was noticed. In the lungs, on the other hand, they tended to decline as a function of increasing post-mortem interval. MDMA levels in cardiac and iliopsoas muscle were fairly comparable and remained stable up to 72 h after death. In the third group, ligation of the large vessels around the heart took place immediately post mortem, but significant differences in blood and tissue MDMA concentrations between rabbits of group 2 and 3 could not be demonstrated. We therefore conclude that post-mortem redistribution of MDMA at the cellular level (viz. by pure diffusion gradient from higher to lower concentrations) is more important than its redistribution via the vascular pathway. Finally, MDA levels were relatively low in all samples, thus indicating that this is not a major metabolite in the rabbit, at least within the first 2 h after administration.

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Forensic significance of concentrations of ethanol in brain tissues following induced acute subdural hemorrhage

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

Distribution of kerosene components in rats following dermal exposure

Distribution of kerosene components in rats following dermal exposure

Development and Validation of a Method for Alcohol Analysis in Brain Tissue by Headspace Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector

Post-mortem redistribution of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") in the rabbit

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