OBJECTIVETo study the changes of neutral alpha-glucoside activity in the epididymis of heroin-dependent and heroin-withdrawal rats, and to investigate the effects of intervention with purine nucleotide (AMP and GMP).

METHODSEighty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups of equal number, control, nucleotide, heroin, heroin + nucleotide, 3 d withdrawal, 9 d withdrawal, 3 d nucleotide (nucleotide administrated for 3 days after heroin withdrawal) and 9 d nucleotide (nucleotide administrated for 9 days after heroin withdrawal). Neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in the epididymis was detected in each group of rats.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, neutral alpha-glucoside activity was markedly decreased in the heroin group (P < 0.05), and also in the 3 d and 9 d withdrawal groups, although with no significant differences (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHeroin reduces neutral alpha-glucoside activity in the epididymis of rats, and this effect may continue for some time after drug withdrawal, while purine nucleotide can keep neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in a relatively stable state.

Animals ; Epididymis ; chemistry ; Heroin ; adverse effects ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; Male ; Purine Nucleotides ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; alpha-Glucosidases ; metabolism

Heroin can be metabolized easily in body and the mail metabolites are 6-MAM, morphine and so on. At present, there are urine, blood, hair and so on as specimens for detection, while the analytical technology conclude TLC, GC, HPLC, GC/MS, LC/MS, IA, CE etc. In this paper, these technologies used for heroin's metabolites were viewed in order to provide some reference to the study in relative field.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Forensic Medicine ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Hair/chemistry* ; Heroin/metabolism* ; Heroin Dependence/metabolism* ; Humans ; Morphine/analysis* ; Morphine Derivatives/analysis* ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods*

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of electroacupuncture (EA) of low frequency on heroin-seeking behavior and FosB protein expression in relative brain regions so as to explore the mechanism of EA.

METHODSRat model of relapsing into heroin was established with progressive fixed ratio program, and model rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a "Sanyinjiao" needle-retention control group, a low frequency and weak EA group, and a low frequency and strong EA group. Heroin-seeking behavior was elicited by conditional clue and small dose of heroin; FosB protein expression was investigated with immunohistochemical technique.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the heroin-seeking behavior induced by conditional clue decreased in the needle-retention control group and the weak EA group, and the heroin-seeking behavior induced by small dose of heroin in the weak EA group significantly reduced as compared with the control group, and FosB protein expression in the nucleus accumbens septi, globus pallidus, basolateral amygdaloid nucleus significantly decreased in the weak EA group, and did not significantly change in the strong EA group; the activity induced by heroin increased as compared with those in the control group and the weak EA group.

CONCLUSIONEA of low frequency and low intensity can cure the heroin-seeking behavior, which is correlated with regulating nervous adaptation of nucleus accumbens septi, basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, etc..

Amygdala ; chemistry ; Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; methods ; Globus Pallidus ; chemistry ; Heroin Dependence ; therapy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Nucleus Accumbens ; chemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the inevitable uncertainty of determining heroin by GC. METHODS: The source of the uncertainty was confirmed from the determining procedure. Each component's uncertainty was calculated. The combined uncertainty was then obtained by synthesizing the uncertainties of various components variables, and the expand uncertainty was finally obtained. RESULTS: The uncertainty of repeated measurement was greater than other uncertainty components introduced by balance,content vessels and instruments in determining heroin. CONCLUSION The errors of repeated measurement and GC instrumental were confirmed as the major sources of uncertainty in determining heroin by GC.
Algorithms ; Chromatography, Gas/methods* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Heroin/chemistry* ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Reproducibility of Results ; Solvents/chemistry* ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods* ; Uncertainty

OBJECTIVETo investigate the pathological characteristics of heroin spongiform leukoencephalopathy (HSLE).

METHODSCerebral tissue specimens were obtained from 15 patients with HSLE and the histological observations under optical and electron microscopes were carried out by HE, Bielschowsky's, and chromotrope 2R-brilliant green staining.

RESULTSHSLE was characterized primarily by spongiform vacuolar degeneration of the cerebral white matter. Neurons in the gray matter, Purkinje and granular cells in the cerebella remain intact in all the cases. Numerous vacuoles, which merged to form larger cavities, appeared in the damaged white matter, and the axons survived in the deep white matter. The myelin sheath in the cerebellar white matter sustained more severe damages than those in the cerebral white matter. No vacuoles or lymphocyte infiltration occurred in the small peripheral vessels.

CONCLUSIONHSLE is pathologically characterized by vacuolar degeneration due to primary damage of the myelin, and the spongiform vacuolar degeneration is closely associated with the severity of demyelination in the white matter.

Adult ; Autopsy ; Canavan Disease ; etiology ; pathology ; Cerebellum ; chemistry ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Cerebral Cortex ; chemistry ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Female ; Heroin Dependence ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle Aged ; Neurons ; chemistry ; pathology ; Purkinje Cells ; chemistry ; pathology ; Staining and Labeling ; methods ; Young Adult

The paper reports the establishment of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for simultaneous analysis of 11 opiates in hair samples, and the study of presence of opiates in the hair of active heroin addicts. About 20 mg of decontaminated and pulverized hair sample was hydrolyzed with buffer solution for 30 min, in the presence of morphine-d3 and acetylmorphine-d6 used as internal standards, and then extracted with the mixture of dichlormethane and isopropanol, separated by the Allure PFP propyl column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 20 mmol L(-1) ammonium acetate buffer, and then analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was used to analyze 11 opiates. Eleven opiates showed a fairly good linearity over the corresponding range (r > 0.996 0). The detection limits were less than 0.05 ng mg(-1). The recoveries were between 47.2% and 110%, and the deviations of intra- and inter-day precision were less than 14%. Heroin, acetylmorphine, morphine, codeine, acetylcodeine and hydrocodone were detected in hair samples of 21 herion addicts. The developed method shows high sensitivity and selectivity, and is suitable for the simultaneous analysis of 11 opiates in hair samples and identify legal and illegal use of opiates.
Analgesics, Opioid ; analysis ; Chromatography, Liquid ; methods ; Codeine ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Hair ; chemistry ; Heroin ; analysis ; Humans ; Hydrocodone ; analysis ; Limit of Detection ; Morphine ; analysis ; Morphine Derivatives ; analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Substance Abuse Detection ; methods ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

OBJECTIVE: To establish an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for determination of 24 elements in human hair. METHODS: The samples were digested with microwave digestion instrument. ICP-MS was applied to determine 24 elements in human hair using indium (115In) as an internal standard. The established method was applied to determine element concentration in normal group (56 samples) and heroin abuse group (10 samples). RESULTS: The limits of detection ranged from 0.000 3 microg/g to 10.14 microg/g. Measured value of the standard materials were basically consistent with the standard value. The contents of magnesium, gallium and barium in hair of heroin addicts decreased after rehabilitation treatment. CONCLUSION The method is sensitive and accurate for determination of 24 elements in human hair.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Barium/analysis* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gallium/analysis* ; Hair/chemistry* ; Heroin Dependence/rehabilitation* ; Humans ; Magnesium/analysis* ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Metals, Heavy/analysis* ; Microwaves ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Trace Elements/analysis* ; Young Adult