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Determination of morphine in the plasma of addicts in using Zeolite Y extraction following high-performance liquid chromatography.

Ghazi-Khansari M, Zendehdel R, Pirali-Hamedani M, Amini M

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P. O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran. ghazikha@sina.tums.ac.ir

BACKGROUND: The measurement of morphine in biological samples has become a routine in many clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of morphine in plasma. METHODS: Samples were extracted using Zeolite Y column followed by reversed phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. This method was based on an ex-calibration procedure and was linear between 20 and 200 ng/ml of morphine. Blood from 10 male opiate addicts were obtained from Rosbeh Hospital. All of the male smoked opiate (heroin, opium) and cigarettes. RESULTS: The mean total level 5 h after the last abuse was 152.4 ng/ml and 37.6 ng/ml at 10-15 h. The method was reliable for morphine determination in blood even after 5 half-lives after the last abuse. CONCLUSIONS: This method is simple and rapid and may be useful for routine monitoring of plasma morphine concentration.

Published 23 January 2006 in Clin Chim Acta, 364(1): 235-8.
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