scholarly journals Fentanyl and its derivatives as a group of new psychoactive substances (designer drugs)

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 547-556
Author(s):  
Marcin Zawadzki ◽  
Karolina Nowak
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Toxicology ◽  
Designer Drugs ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Fatal Intoxication ◽  
High Toxicity ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
The Past ◽  
Strong Action ◽  
Addictive Drug ◽  
Clinical And Forensic Toxicology

Fentanyl has been known for many years. It has been widely used in emergency medicine and anaesthesiology. Due to its strong action, it gained a reputation of a popular addictive drug. Over the past years, fentanyl derivatives, produced as new psychoactive substances (designer drugs), have become a growing problem in clinical and forensic toxicology due to their non-therapeutic use. Both the variability in the construction of fentanyls and, consequently, the change in toxokinetic properties, as well as their high toxicity, often lead people to take this group of compounds to fatal intoxication. The purpose of this paper is to present various formulations of fentanyl and to discuss the properties of fentanyl and its derivatives, with particular emphasis on the toxicity of this group of compounds. Reviewing the available literature, the authors also focused on presenting the therapeutic concentrations of fentanyl and its most popular analogues, comparing them with the concentrations observed in lethal opioid poisonings.

scholarly journals Intoxication with new psychoactive substances in patients diagnosed at the Department of Clinical and Forensic Toxicology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin in 2015-2018.

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Potocka-Banaś ◽  
Urszula Semeniuk ◽  
Sławomir Majdanik ◽  
Krzysztof Borowiak
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Gradual Increase ◽  
Forensic Toxicology ◽  
Designer Drugs ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Headspace Gas ◽  
Medical University ◽  
Clinical And Forensic Toxicology

Introduction: Intoxication with new psychoactive substances (NPSs), colloquially known as designer drugs, has become a significant problem in the last several years.The aim of the study was to conduct a statistical analysis of retrospective data from test records for the presence of NPSs in patients hospitalized in 2015–2018 in the West Pomeranian province.Materials and methods: We analyzed 5,916 results of tests undertaken at the Department of Clinical and Forensic Toxicology at Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. Blood samples had been analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and Headspace gas chromatography (GC/Headspace).Results: Our research was based on 5,916 diagnostic tests for poisoning with volatile and non-volatile organic compounds carried out in 2015–2018 at Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. Psychoactive substances used for non-medical purposes were detected in 1,465 patients. In the period under analysis 1,328 of these patients were poisoned with classic psychoactive substances, the poisonings caused by the intentional use NPS were recorded in 137.Conclusions: A retrospective analysis of the above-mentioned data for the period 2015–2018 revealed a gradual increase in the incidence of poisoning with psychoactive substances used for non-medical purposes.Keywords: intoxication; new psychoactive substances; designer drugs; data analysis; diagnostic tests.

scholarly journals New psychoactive substances: psychiatrist's view

2019 ◽  
pp. 57-67
Author(s):  
Andrey Viktorovich Antsyborov ◽  
Irina Vladimirovna Dubatova
Keyword(s):  
Opioid Receptors ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
Designer Drugs ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Gaba A ◽  
Psychoactive Effects ◽  
Legal High ◽  
Derivatives Of

Appearing not long ago, new psychoactive substances (designer drugs), including synthetic cannabinoids, derivatives of cathinone, phenethylamines, new stimulants, synthetic opioids, tryptamine derivatives, phencyclidine, piperazine, the GABA (A/B) receptors agonists, have become a serious problem for consumers and for physicians. Consumers of these substances are attracted primarily by the intensity of psychoactive effects, and the «legal high» declared by the black manufacturers, which indicates that significant difficulties in a laboratory identification of new surfactants. Designer drugs, when ingested, can be influenced on many neurotransmitter pathways/receptors: dopamine, cannabinoid (CB1), GABA (A/B), 5-HT2A, glutamate, and k-opioid receptors (KOR), the imbalance of which leads to the development of polymorphic psychotic disorders.

scholarly journals A Deep Generative Model Enables Automated Structure Elucidation of Novel Psychoactive Substances

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Skinnider ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Daniel Pasin ◽  
Russell Greiner ◽  
Leonard Foster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structure Elucidation ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Generative Model ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Designer Drugs ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Statistical Probability ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
Structural Prior

Over the past decade, the illicit drug market has been reshaped by the proliferation of clandestinely produced designer drugs. These agents, referred to as new psychoactive substances (NPSs), are designed to mimic the physiological actions of better-known drugs of abuse while skirting drug control laws. The public health burden of NPS abuse obliges toxicological, police, and customs laboratories to screen for them in law enforcement seizures and biological samples. However, the identification of emerging NPSs is challenging due to the chemical diversity of these substances and the fleeting nature of their appearance on the illicit market. Here, we present DarkNPS, a deep learning-enabled approach to automatically elucidate the structures of unidentified designer drugs using only mass spectrometric data. Our method employs a deep generative model to learn a statistical probability distribution over unobserved structures, which we term the structural prior. We show that the structural prior allows DarkNPS to elucidate the exact chemical structure of an unidentified NPS with an accuracy of 51%, and a top-10 accuracy of 78%. Our generative approach has the potential to enable de novo structure elucidation for other types of small molecules that are routinely analyzed by mass spectrometry.

scholarly journals A Deep Generative Model Enables Automated Structure Elucidation of Novel Psychoactive Substances

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Skinnider ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Daniel Pasin ◽  
Russell Greiner ◽  
Leonard Foster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structure Elucidation ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Generative Model ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Designer Drugs ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Statistical Probability ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
Structural Prior

Over the past decade, the illicit drug market has been reshaped by the proliferation of clandestinely produced designer drugs. These agents, referred to as new psychoactive substances (NPSs), are designed to mimic the physiological actions of better-known drugs of abuse while skirting drug control laws. The public health burden of NPS abuse obliges toxicological, police, and customs laboratories to screen for them in law enforcement seizures and biological samples. However, the identification of emerging NPSs is challenging due to the chemical diversity of these substances and the fleeting nature of their appearance on the illicit market. Here, we present DarkNPS, a deep learning-enabled approach to automatically elucidate the structures of unidentified designer drugs using only mass spectrometric data. Our method employs a deep generative model to learn a statistical probability distribution over unobserved structures, which we term the structural prior. We show that the structural prior allows DarkNPS to elucidate the exact chemical structure of an unidentified NPS with an accuracy of 51%, and a top-10 accuracy of 78%. Our generative approach has the potential to enable de novo structure elucidation for other types of small molecules that are routinely analyzed by mass spectrometry.

scholarly journals Identification of New Psychoactive Substances in Seized material Using UHPLC-QTOF-MS and An Online Mass Spectral Database

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria von Cüpper ◽  
Petur Weihe Dalsgaard ◽  
Kristian Linnet
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Designer Drugs ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Mass Spectral Database ◽  
Exact Mass ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Toxicological Effects ◽  
Flight Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Spectral Database

Abstract The unpredictable pharmacological and toxicological effects associated with the recreational use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) represent a threat to the public health. Analysts are constantly facing a challenge to identify these designer drugs. In this article, five seized samples were submitted for analysis using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC–QTOF-MS). To tentatively identify the NPS in the samples, the potential usage of an online mass spectral database (HighResNPS.com) was explored by searching the exact mass of the precursor ion and evaluating the fragmentation profile. This approach successfully identified a suspected candidate compound present in three of the five samples. However, conclusive identification of the remaining two was not possible, due to indistinguishable fragmentation profiles of positional isomers. Therefore, complementary analytical methodologies are of paramount importance. In light of the above, HighResNPS.com is a useful tool in presumptively identifying an NPS without a reference standard.

Behavioral disorders and new psychoactive substances abuse, a French case series

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S307-S307 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Marillier ◽  
A. Batisse ◽  
C. Chevallier ◽  
S. Djezzar
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Stab Wound ◽  
Case Series ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Sexual Practice ◽  
The Past ◽  
French Case ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionRange of drugs has largely increased the past few years, especially with the emergence of the New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) sold online. In front of serious risks they cause on human health, they are more and more regulated by the law.ObjectivesTo describe cases of extreme behavioral disorders and highlight risks of potential forensic complications linked to these consumptions.MethodsWe present a case series of serious auto or hetero-aggressive behavioral disorders related to NPS abuse and notified to the Parisian addictovigilance center.ResultsTwenty cases were identified between 2010 and 2015. Users were exclusively men, with mean age of 35.5 years (min: 20, max: 51). Synthetic cathinones are the predominant class of reported NPS (65%). An association between NPS and sexuality is found in 60% of cases (12); among them cathinones are used by 11 men. We observed 6 deaths among which, 5 were associated to sexual practice. Two cases of consumptions of cathinones induced torture and barbarian acts. Concerning aggressive behavioral disorders, we quote 3 cases of hetero-aggressivity (one by stab wound and 2 others developed an hypersexuality ± exhibitionism) and 9 cases of auto-aggressivity characterized by genital mutilations (1), defenestration (3), suicidal attempt (3), and acute psychiatric disorder with endangering life (2). Only four cases have been confirmed by toxicological analysis.ConclusionBehavioral disorders inducing forensics complications exist with NPS and particularly with cathinones. The problematic is certainly undervalued. A collaboration between addictovigilance and forensic services has to be improved.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals New Psychoactive Substances and Suicidality: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 580
Author(s):  
Stefania Chiappini ◽  
Alessio Mosca ◽  
Andrea Miuli ◽  
Maria Chiara Santovito ◽  
Laura Orsolini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Clinical Issue ◽  
The Past ◽  
Synthetic Opioids ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Health Related

Background and Objectives: Over the past twenty years a large number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) have entered and modified the recreational drug scene. Their intake has been associated with health-related risks, especially so for vulnerable populations such as people with severe mental illness, who might be at higher risk of suicidality or self-injurious behavior. This paper aims at providing an overview of NPS abuse and the effects on mental health and suicidality issues, by performing a literature review of the current related knowledge, thereby identifying those substances that, more than others, are linked to suicidal behaviors. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive and updated overview of the literature regarding suicidality and NPS categories has been undertaken. An electronic search was performed, including all papers published up to March 2021, using the following keywords “NPS” OR “new psychoactive substances” OR “novel psychoactive substances” OR “synthetic cannabinoids” OR “phenethylamines” OR “synthetic cathinones” OR “tryptamines” OR “piperazines” OR “new synthetic opioids” OR “designer benzodiazepines” AND (“suicide” OR “suicidality”) NOT review NOT animal on the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science online databases. Results: Suicidality and self-injurious behavior appear to be frequently associated with some NPS such as cathinones, synthetic cannabinoids, and new synthetic opioids. The results are organized according to the substances recorded. Conclusion: The growing use of NPS has become a significant clinical issue, causing increasing concern and challenges for clinicians working in both mental health and emergency departments. Thus, considering the associations between NPS and suicidality or self-injurious behaviors, areas where suicide-prevention efforts and strategies might be focused are the early detection, monitoring, and restriction of NPS.

scholarly journals New psychoactive and classic substances in pooled urine samples collected at the Ultra Europe festival in Split, Croatia

2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-204
Author(s):  
Davorka Sutlović ◽  
Sendi Kuret ◽  
Marija Definis
Keyword(s):  
Urine Samples ◽  
Designer Drugs ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Music Festival ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Full Scan ◽  
One Year

Abstract We believe that analysing pooled urine samples for recreational drugs used at mass events can provide useful information about trends in drug use. An opportunity arose with the Ultra Europe music festival, which is attended by more than 150,000 people from over 150 countries every year. We analysed 30 pooled urine samples collected from portable chemical toilets located at or close to the Ultra Europe music festival venue in Split, Croatia in 2016–2018 to detect the presence of classic and new psychoactive substances (NPS). Four urine samples collected in 2016 were from a toilet without added chemicals (otherwise used to kill the smell) while the remaining samples were collected from toilets with added chemicals. Samples were qualitatively analysed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using the full-scan mode. Data were compared with the Wiley mass spectral library of designer drugs and our in-house library containing about 1000 compounds and metabolites. We identified forty-six different substances and metabolites, 26 of which were classic substances/metabolites, mostly from the stimulants group, while 20 were NPS. In the NPS group, most of them were phenethylamines and cathinones. The variety of substances was the highest on the first day of the festival regardless of the year, but 2018 showed a significant drop compared to the previous two years. The results of our study revealed a stable trend of classic drug consumption, while NPS trend changed from one year to another.

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