• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.101-106
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study examined the patterns of drugs, poisons, and chemicals detected in autopsy samples performed in the Seoul Institute and other regional forensic offices of the National Forensic Service (NFS) between 2014 and 2016. Methods: The investigation carried out using the laboratory information management system. Forensic toxicological identification and quantitation were performed in autopsy samples, including heart blood, peripheral blood, liver, kidney, vitreous humor and etc. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to analyze the drugs and poisons. Results: Forensic autopsies were performed on 9,674 cases in this period. Based on the autopsy reports, 699 cases (7.2%) were considered as unnatural deaths caused by fatal intoxication. The number of male deaths was higher than that of female deaths, with the age of 50-59 being the most common age group. Conclusion: Drugs comprised the largest number of deaths due to poison, followed by alcohol, agrochemicals, drug with alcohol, carbon monoxide, and cyanide, in that order. Zolpidem was the most frequently used drug in all drug-related intoxication cases.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.35-41
• /
• 2013

Metabolic analysis of CR6 interacting factor 1 (Crif1) deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts with impaired oxidative phosphorylation has been carried out using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS methods. Metabolic profiles of the Crif1 deficient cells were comprehensively obtained for the first time. Loss of oxidative phosphorylation functions in mitochondria resulted in cancer-like metabolic reprogramming with consumption of majority of glucose carbon from up-regulated glycolysis to produce lactate, suppressed utilization of glucose carbon in the TCA cycle, increased amounts of amino acids. The changes in metabolic profile of the Crif1 deficient cells are most probably a consequence of metabolic reprogramming to meet the needs of energy balance and anabolic precursors in compensation for the loss of major oxidative phosphorylation functions.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.571-576
• /
• 1999

Screening method for NSAIDs (Hon-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) in urine was developed using GC/NCI-MS. Derivatized six fenamates with pentafluoropropionic anhydride showed high sensitivity in NCI-MS. The conditions of the derivatization reaction and chromatographic conditions were established for screening with a trace analysis. Limit of detection was in the range of 4-25 pg/mL. This method may be used to the equine doping analysis for NSAIDs and forensic analysis.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.293-304
• /
• 2006

Sea water samples collected in August, 1994 from 20 stations in the Kwangyang Bay were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring (GC/MS-SIM) to investigate persistence and distribution pattern of four organophosphorus pesticides (DDVP, Diazinon, IBP, EDDP). Except for IBP, the contamination by DDVP, Diazinon, and EDDP in marine aquatic environment in Korea has not been reported previously. In this study, however, all these four pesticides were detected in all stations (except DDVP) and their concentrations were in ng/L level. The concentrations ranged from detection limit to 15.3ng/L for DDVP, 1.8-27.7ng/L for Diazinon, 7.3-63.5ng/L for IBP, and 22.2-1100.1ng/L for EDDP. It is noteworthy that the measured concentrations of IBP and EDDP in this study would be much lower than usual, since the use of IBP and EDDP was less than 50% of average annual consumption due to unusually dry and hot weather condition in the summer of 1994. It was very surprising to find that the highest concentrations of organophosphorus pesticides were observed at stations near Daesa Streamlet instead of Seomjin River, which has more point source of the pesticides. This result suggests that the small river discharge during heavy ram period in summer can give harmful effect on marine biota (both wild and aqua-cultured) with its organophosphorus pesticide residue, despite of their short residence time in aquatic environment. In order to protect the marine life properly from acute toxicity of the organophosphorus pesticides, it needs to be emphasized that monitoring the level of agricultural pesticides in river run-off should be done during active consumption period rather at regular intervals.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.30 no.7
• /
• pp.1497-1504
• /
• 2009

GC/MS analysis of catecholamines (CAs) in biological sample may produce poor reproducible quantitaion when chemical derivatization is used as the technique to form a volatile derivative. Significant quantities of the side products can be formed from CAs with primary amine during the derivatization reaction under un-optimized conditions. We have tested various chemical derivatization techniques in an attempt to find an optimum derivatization method that will reduce side product formation, enable to separate several catecholamine derivatives in GC chromatogram, and obtain significant improvement of detection sensitivity in GC/MS analysis. Whereas several derivatization techniques such as trimethylsilylation (TMS), trifluoroacylation (TFA), and two step derivatization methods were active, selective derivatization to form O-TMS, N-heptafluorobutylacyl (HFBA) derivative using N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) and N-methyl-bis(heptafluorobutyramide) (MBHFBA) reagents was found to be the most effective method. Moreover, this derivative formed by selective derivatization could provide sufficient sensitivity and peak separation as well as produce higher mass ion as base peak to use selected ion in SIM mode. Calibration curves based on the use of an isotopically labeled internal standard show good linearity over the range assayed, 1 ~ 5000 ng/mL, with correlation coefficients of > 0.996. The detection limits of the method ranged from 0.2 to 5.0 ppb for the different CAs studied. The developed method will be applied to the analysis of various CAs in biological sample, combined with appropriate sample pretreatment.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.332-338
• /
• 2012

A simple and sensitive analytical method was developed using gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for determination of Picoxystrobin in agricultural products (apple, hulled rice, mushroom, pepper, soybean, and mandarin). Picoxystrobin residues were extracted with acetonitrile, partitioned with saline water, and then they were cleaned up on a florisil solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge to obtain an extract suitable for analysis by GC-ECD and GC-MS. The method was validated using 6 agricultural product samples spiked with Picoxystrobin at different concentration levels (0.02, 0.05 and 0.5 mg/L). Average recoveries of Picoxystrobin (using each concentration three replicates) ranged 64.0~98.3% with relative standard deviations less than 10%, calibration solutions concentration in the range 0.1~5 mg/L, and limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.005 and 0.02 mg/L, respectively. The result showed that the developed analytical method is suitable for Picoxystrobin determination in agricultural products.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.374-385
• /
• 1998

Phytoestrogens are biologically active compounds derived from plants foods. It had been suggested that phytoestrogens, by inhibiting aromatase in peripheral and/or cancer cells and lowering estrogen levels, may play a protective role as antipromotional compounds during growth of estrogen-dependent cancers. Therefore, simultaneous analysis of estrogens and phytoestrogens is necessary to elucidate the possible involvement of phytoestrogens in estrogen metabolism. In this view, we developed a simple and reproducible procedure to quantitatively determine estrogen and phytoestrogen metabolites. The proposed method consisted of solid phase extraction using preconditioned Serdolit AD-2 resin, enzyme hydrolysis with ${\beta}$-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase from Helix pomatia, liquid-liquid extraction and TMS-ether derivatization. And the final determination was carried out by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selected ion monitoring mode (SIM). The precision and accuracy of this method was evaluated through within-a-day and day-to-day test. Recovery range and detection limit were 71.96~105.66%, 2~4 ng/mL, respectively. Using this method, 17 estrogen and 5 phytoestrogen compositions in urine of normal subjects were analyzed. It was found that amounts and relative distribution of urinary phytoestrigens and estrogens showed different pattern in male and female subjects.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.65-74
• /
• 2015

Carbohydrate antigens expressed on pig cells are considered to be major barriers in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. Even after ${\alpha}1,3$-galactosyltransferase gene knock-out (GalT-KO) pigs are generated, potential non-Gal antigens are still existed. However, to the best of our knowledge there is no extensive study analyzing N-glycans expressed on the GalT-KO pig tissues or cells. Here, we identified and quantified totally 47 N-glycans from wild-type (WT) and GalT-KO pig fibroblasts using mass spectrometry. First, our results confirmed the absence of galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (${\alpha}$-Gal) residue in the GalT-KO pig cells. Interestingly, we showed that the level of overall fucosylated N-glycans from GalT-KO pig fibroblasts is much higher than from WT pig fibroblasts. Moreover, the relative quantity of the N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) antigen is slightly higher in the GalT-KO pigs. Thus, this study will contribute to a better understanding of cellular glycan alterations on GalT-KO pigs for successful xenotransplantation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.207-212
• /
• 2004

An analytic method was developed for the quantitation of $\Delta$$^{9}-$ tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy THC (THC-COOH) in human hair. After hair samples were pulverized using Freezer Mill, deuterated internal standards were added and digested in 1 N NaOH at $100^{\circ}C$ water bath for 30 min. Digest solutions were extracted by 5 ml hexane：ethyl acetate (90：10) after acidification with acetic acid. The organic phase was evaporated under N 2 and derivatized by BSTFA (with 1% TMCS) at $85^{\circ}C$ for 45 min. The derivatized solution was separated on HP-5MS column ($30m{\times}0.25mm{\times}0.25mm$) and detected using EI-GC-MS with selective ion monitoring mode. The assay of calibration was ranged from 5 to 100 ng/50 mg hair ($r^2$＞0.99) for THC and THC-COOH. Within and between-run precision were calculated at 6, 30, 60 ng/50 mg hair with coefficients of variation less than 11%. Within and between run accuracies at the same concentrations were$\pm$14% and $\pm$30% of target for both analytes, respectively. Absolute and relative recovery at 10 and 100 ng were 60∼91％. The method was used to detect and quantify THC and THC-COOH in cannabis abuser's hairs (N = 16) and SRM (N=5, THC 1 ng/mg, NIST). We detected THC and THC-COOH in only one hair sample. In SRM, % accuracy was 93% (range 86∼103%) and precision (% CV) was 8.14. We began to set up a quantitative analysis of THC and THC-COOH using EI-GC-MS. Continuously, we need to modify and develop this method in order to apply for identification in cannanbis users' hair.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.436-445
• /
• 2015

Amomi Fructus with anti-oxidative activity was chosen and essential oil was obtained by SDE (simultaneous distillation extraction), and 39 constituents were determined by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Major components were camphor, borneol acetate, borneol, D-limonene and camphene. Three solvent extracts such as hexanes, diethyl ether and methylene chloride from Amomi Fructus were obtained. These were analyzed by GC-MS and 4 more constituents were identified in addition to 39 components discovered in essential oil. Five major components such as camphor, borneol acetate, borneol, D-limonene and camphene were also detected, however the relative peak percents of those components were different from those of constituents in essential oil. To estimate the kind and the amount of materials evaporated at certain temperature and conditions from essential oil and solvent extracts, dynamic headspace apparatus was used and materials evaporated and trapped at certain conditions were analyzed by GC-MS. Recovery yield of SDE method from Amomi Fructus was measured by using camphor and standard calibration solution of camphor methanol solution and, the yield was 82.0%. Content of Hg was measured by mercury analyzer and contents of Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn in Amomi Fructus, essential oils and solvent extracts were determined by ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer). Pb, Cd and Hg were measured in the concentration of 0.72 mg/kg, <0.10 mg/kg and 0.0023 mg/kg, respectively and these were below permission level of purity test. Contents of Mn, Cu and Zn in Amomi Fructus were 213 mg/kg, 8.29 mg/kg and 31.0 mg/kg, respectively and which were relatively higher than other metals such as Cr, Co and Ni. Metals such as Mn (0.65 ~ 9.08 mg/kg), Cu (1.16 ~ 4.40 mg/kg) and Zn (1.10 ~ 3.80 mg/kg) in essential oil and solvent extracts were detected. At this point it is not clear that the metals were cross-contaminated in the course of treating Amomi Fructus or metals were contained in Amomi Fructus. The influence evaluation toward biological model study of these metals in essential oil and solvent extracts will be needed.