In Vitro Experiment for Postmortem Vascular Permeation: The Passage of Morphine and Morphine Glucuronides Across a Vascular Wall

• NCJ Number: 172055
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Dated: (May 1997) Pages: 486-491
• Author(s): G Skopp; R Lutz; L Potsch; B Ganbmann; K Klinder; A Schmidt; R Aderjan; R Mattern
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study provides preliminary data of the in vitro concentration profiles of morphine, morphine-6- and morphine-3- glucuronide passing through a vascular wall clamped between the flange surfaces of a Chien-Valia-diffusion chamber.

Abstract

A venous blood sample taken at autopsy cannot be considered to represent the antemortem blood concentration of a particular substance. Autolytic processes cause disintegration and increasing permeability of the physiological and anatomical barriers such as vascular walls and lead to changes in substance concentrations. In the current study, the experimental design represents an in vitro postmortem simulation of a drug substance crossing a venous wall. The postmortem behavior of morphine, morphine-3- and morphine-6-glucuronide was investigated. A Chien- Valia-diffusion chamber with a patch of inferior vena cava as diffusion barrier was used. For optimal simulation of postmortem events, vein sampling was restricted to selected autopsy cases. Parameters for the analysis of diffusion across the vascular tissue were dependent on time, temperature, and initial substance concentrations. The penetration behavior simulating venous efflux and influx of the substances was studied by different orientation of the venous wall in the experiments. Rhodamine B was used as a model substance to visualize the binding to the tissue and the passage across the venous wall. The permeation of morphine, morphine-3- and morphine-6-glucuronide across a vein tissue was found to be mainly dependent on the disintegration of the vascular wall and on the postmortem time period, as well as on concentration gradients. From the data of this preliminary in vitro study, it can be concluded that a lag time for transvascular diffusion exists postmortem; however, it could be shown that adsorption to and penetration into the vascular tissue may alter intraluminal blood concentrations even at an early stage of the postmortem time period. 5 figures and 28 references