Adam Negrusz

Recommendations for Toxicological Investigations of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assaults

The recent increase in reports of drug-facilitated sexual assaults has caused alarm in the general public and prompted forensic toxicologists from across North America to address the toxicological issues surrounding this matter. The authors have developed recommendations and guidelines to inform law enforcement, medical, and scientific personnel of the requirements for performing successful toxicological examinations in cases of drug-facilitated rape.

Determination of drugs of abuse in meconium.

Fetal exposure to drugs has many adverse effects upon the neonate including low birthweight, small head size and an increased risk of miscarriage and death. Correct diagnosis of drug use during pregnancy is essential if the child is to receive specialized treatment and care, which will aid in learning and behavioral development. Diagnosis will also help in the prevention of subsequent drug-exposed children being born to the same mother. Meconium is the first fecal material excreted by the newborn and is an excellent depository for drugs to which the fetus has been exposed. Its analysis is widely accepted in the scientific and medical communities since it has several advantages over urinalysis, including providing a longer historical record of drug exposure and easier collection. Various drugs and their metabolites have been detected in meconium, however, the metabolic profile of drugs in meconium differs from that of neonatal and/or maternal urine. This article addresses the determination of cocaines, amphetamines, opiates, cannabinoids, phencyclidine, nicotine and methadone in meconium using several analytical procedures including immunochemical and chromatographic methods.

Permanent cell cycle arrest in asynchronously proliferating normal human fibroblasts treated with doxorubicin or etoposide but not camptothecin

Damage to DNA has been implicated in the induction of permanent cell cycle arrest or premature senescence in normal human fibroblasts. We tested the ability of a group of cancer chemotherapeutic agents or related compounds, which can cause DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) directly or indirectly, to induce a permanent cell cycle arrest in normal proliferating fibroblasts. A brief treatment with etoposide, doxorubicin, cisplatin, or phleomycin D1 induced a block to S phase entry sustained through 15 days. Lower levels of these drugs did not induce appreciable levels of transient cell cycle arrest. Higher concentrations caused cell death that lacked the DNA degradation characteristic of apoptosis. Camptothecin, an agent that causes DNA single-strand breaks, which are converted to DSBs during S phase, was able to induce an efficient, but only transient, cell cycle arrest in these normal cells. The cells did not enter S phase until after removal of the camptothecin. These findings support the idea that permanent cell cycle arrest and cell death are typical reactions of these normal cells to drugs that can cause DSBs. In addition, we report data consistent with the concept that both actinomycin D and doxorubicin are sequestered by cells and slowly released in active form. This is consistent with the observation that both these drugs bind reversibly to intracellular components.

An Estimate of the Proportion of Drug-Facilitation of Sexual Assault in Four U.S. Localities*

Abstract:  In recent years, drugs including flunitrazepam, gamma‐hydroxybutyrate, ketamine, and ethanol, have become popularly associated with drug‐facilitated sexual assault. Other drugs are also candidates as factors in “drug facilitated sexual assault” (DFSA). The true extent of DFSA is not known, and is difficult to estimate. We recruited sexual assault complainants at four clinics in different parts of the U.S. to anonymously provide urine and hair specimens, and to answer questions about suspected drugging, drug use, and the sexual assault incident. Urine and hair specimens were tested for 45 drugs, including ethanol, and those pharmacologically capable of inducing sedation, amnesia, or impairment of judgment. Analytical test results were used to estimate the proportion of subjects, and the proportion of all complainants to the clinic in the same time period, who were victims of DFSA. Overall, cases of 43% of 144 subjects, and 7% of 859 complainants, were characterized as DFSA. Subjects underreported their use of drugs. The role of toxicological results and history in characterizing DFSA cases is discussed.

Detection of Cocaine on Various Denominations of United States Currency

The presence of cocaine on U.S. paper currency collected in many cities in the United States has previously been reported. Currency becomes contaminated during the exchange, storage and use of cocaine. Different currency denominations are also rolled by drug users and used to snort cocaine. Illicit cocaine is widely abused and therefore the contaminated paper currency can be easily found in common use. A total of 18 bills were analyzed in our laboratory for cocaine. Ten

Detection of Cocaine, Norcocaine, and Cocaethylene in the Meconium of Premature Neonates

20 bills were randomly collected in Rockford, IL and four

Determination of cocaine and its metabolites in brain tissue using high-flow solid-phase extraction columns and high-performance liquid chromatography

1 bills in Chicago. An additional four uncirculated S1 bills were analyzed as a control group. All bills were extracted with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid followed by solidphase extraction. Cocaine was identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in full scan mode, and drug quantitation was performed in selected ion monitoring mode. A standard curve was prepared and doxepin was used as an internal standard. In addition, for method validation two levels of control solutions were analyzed simultaneously. Precision and accuracy values were within acceptable ranges. Cocaine was present on 92.8% of all bills collected from the general circulation. All

The Behavioral and Cognitive Effects of Two Benzodiazepines Associated with Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

20 bills were contaminated with cocaine and the amount of drug varied from 0.14 to 10.02 µg of cocaine per bill (itx} = 2.86 µg). Only one

Analysis of doxorubicin in cell culture media and human plasma using solid phase extraction and HPLC

1 bill was cocaine free. In one case (

Determination of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in human amniotic fluid using high flow solid-phase extraction columns and HPLC

1 bill), only traces (below quantitation limit) of cocaine were found. All four uncirculated