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Drug Monitoring and Toxicology: Raf J.F. Schepers, Jonathan M. Oyler, Robert E. Joseph, Jr, Edward J. Cone, Eric T. Moolchan, and Marilyn A. Huestis Methamphetamine and Amphetamine Pharmacokinetics in Oral Fluid and Plasma after Controlled Oral Methamphetamine Administration to Human Volunteers Clin Chem 2003; 49: 121-132 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Presumption of Racemic Ratio in Abused MAMP Tablet

Toshio Okazaki, Toshiaki Nagai, Masayoshi Amemiya, Kazumi Matsushima, Masahito Hitotsugi, Shogo Tokudome and Tatsuo Nagai   (11 March 2004)

d and l-MAMP Blending by Illicit Sellers, gTaki-naoshih

Toshio Okazaki, Masayoshi Amemiya, Tatsuo Nagai   (14 April 2004)

Presumption of Racemic Ratio in Abused MAMP Tablet 11 March 2004
Toshio Okazaki, Associate Professor Kitasato University, Toshiaki Nagai, Masayoshi Amemiya, Kazumi Matsushima, Masahito Hitotsugi, Shogo Tokudome and Tatsuo Nagai Send letter to journal: Re: Presumption of Racemic Ratio in Abused MAMP Tablet okazaki{at}cc.ahs.kitasato-u.ac.jp Toshio Okazaki, et al.	Dear Editor: d- Methamphetamine (MAMP) is one of the five most common illicit drugs in the emergency department and medical examiner settings in the USA (1). In Japan, d-MAMP is the most common illicit drug (2) and is smuggled into the country. The identification of MAMP abusers is important for forensic medical scientists. Recently, detection of d-MAMP blended with l-MAMP and d/l racemic modification has been increasing (3). We would examine the excretion patterns of d- and l-MAMP in the urine after their oral administration to identify drugs used by MAMP abusers (4), but MAMP administration is prohibited in Japan. Therefore, we examined the excretion patterns of d- and l- ethylamphetamine (EAMP) synthesized from phenylacetone and their metabolites d- and l- amphetamine (AMP) into the urine after administration of d- and l-EAMP. The relationship between the AMP/EAMP or AMP/MAMP ratio and the l/d-EAMP or l/d-MAMP ratio in the urine was analyzed. The AMP/EAMP ratio increased with time. However, the increase rate markedly varied with the l/d ratio of administered EAMP. The AMP/EAMP ratio markedly increased at a high percentage of d-EAMP, while it hardly increased at an l/d-EAMP ratio close to 1. The y-ordinate of the regression line of the relationship between the AMP/EAMP ratio and l/d- EAMP ratio was very close to the l/d ratio of administered EAMP. These results suggested that the l/d ratio of MAMP tablets used by an MAMP abuser could be estimated by drawing a graph using at least 2 points of the AMP/MAMP ratio and l/d-MAMP ratio in the urine after MAMP is taken. The urinary AMP/MAMP ratio and l/d-MAMP ratio in arrested MAMP abusers in Japan are applied to above AMP/EAMP and l/d-EAMP data. The Japanese MAMP abusers could be divided into 2 groups with high and low d-MAMP percentages. Analysis of the relationship between the AMP/MAMP ratio and l/d-MAMP ratio in urine samples collected more than 2 times from arrested abusers will be useful for the identification of smuggling and traffic routes by identifying abused MAMP. References 1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of Applied Studies. Year-end 2000 emergency department data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network. DAWN Series D-18. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 01- 3532. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2001:1-115. 2. National Police Agency Government of Japan. White Paper on Police 2000, Chapter 2. Tokyo, 2000:45-48. 3. Okazaki T, Nagai T, Amemiya M, Nagai T. Prevalence of d-Methamphetamine mixed with l-Methamphetamine in Japan. Clin Chem 2003:Aug.13 (eLetter) 4. Schepers R JF, Oyler JM, Joseph RE, Cone EJ, Moolchan ET, Huestis MA. Methamphetamine and Amphetamine Pharmacokinetics in Oral Fluid and Plasma after Controlled Oral Methamphetamine Administration to Human Volunteers. Clin Chem 2003;49:121-132.
d and l-MAMP Blending by Illicit Sellers, gTaki-naoshih 14 April 2004
Toshio Okazaki, Associate Professor Kitasato University, Masayoshi Amemiya, Tatsuo Nagai Send letter to journal: Re: d and l-MAMP Blending by Illicit Sellers, gTaki-naoshih okazaki{at}cc.ahs.kitasato-u.ac.jp Toshio Okazaki, et al.	Dear Editor: In recent years, stimulants seized in Japan have often been composed of a mixture of d-MAMP and l-MAMP (1). In these stimulants, optical isomers d and l were mixed in one crystal, and their mixture ratio varied each other. Stimulants used by the suspect in each case can be distinguished based on the AMP/MAMP ratio and l/d-AMP ratio in urinary samples obtained from the suspect at 2 different points of time (2). We searched a safe house of illicit sellers of stimulants and seized pots showing attachment of MAMP. According to the suspect, pure d-MAMP and l- MAMP were dissolved in water, placed in this pot, and heated for re- crystallization. Illicit sellers call this work "taki-naoshi", which means "re-cooking of foods such as rice" in Japanese. The reason that l -MAMP with weak pharmacological effects as a stimulant is mixed with d- MAMP is unclear, but stimulant effects may be more mildly induced. REFERENCES 1. Okazaki T, Nagai T, Amemiya M, Nagai T. Prevalence of d-Methamphetamine mixed with l- Methamphetamine in Japan. Clin Chem 2003:Aug.13 (eLetter) 2. Okazaki T, Nagai T, Amemiya M, Matsushima K, Hitotsugi M, Tokudome S, Nagai T. Presumption of Racemic Ratio in Abused MAMP Tablet. Clin Chem 2003:Mar.11 (eLetter)