Measurement of 3,4-MDMA and Related Amines in Diagnostic and Forensic Laboratories

Victor A Skrinska; Susan B Gock

doi:10.29074/ascls.18.2.119

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Victor A Skrinska, PhD DABCC⇑
1. is Professor and Chair, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences, Birmingham AL
Susan B Gock, MS MT(ASCP)
1. is Forensic Laboratory Technical Director, Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Milwaukee WI

Address for correspondence: Victor A Skrinska PhD DABCC, Professor and Chair, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences, 1530 3rd Ave S, Birmingham AL 35294-1212. (205) 934-9124. skrinska{at}uab.edu

Extract

The phenylalkylamine derivatives, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy, XTC, Adam), 3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine (MDEA, MDE, Eve), and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), are psychostimulants with hallucinogenic properties. MDA is also a metabolite of both MDMA and MDEA. These drugs are ring-substituted amphetamine derivatives that produce hallucinogenic, entactogenic (‘love drug’), and stimulating effects.^1-3 MDMA was initially developed as an appetite suppressant, however, its use as a therapeutic drug has been very limited.⁴ Because of its effects as a hallucinogenic psychostimulant with relatively low toxicity, it has emerged over the last two decades as a common recreational psychostimulant or ‘club drug’ at ‘raves’.⁵ MDMA, MDEA, and MDA are often referred to as ‘rave’ or ‘designer’ drugs. They are produced in clandestine laboratories and have an increasing presence on the illicit drug market worldwide. Significant adverse health effects have been reported that include: serotonin neurotoxicity, severe psychiatric disorders, renal failure, malignant hyperthermia, hepatitis, rhabdomyolysis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.^6-8 A number of fatal outcomes associated with severe MDMA intoxication have been reported.^9-12

The analysis of MDMA, MDEA, and MDA can be broken down into several categories. The first is the need to identify the presence of the drugs in tablets that are seized and suspected to contain illicit drugs. The second is the need to detect ‘rave’ drugs onsite with the intent to determine recent use of the drugs. The third category is the typical laboratory drug screen used to determine either recent or chronic exposure to the drugs. And finally, the fourth category is forensic analysis of postmortem specimens for…

ABBREVIATIONS: Adam = 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; ecstasy = 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; Eve = 3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine; GC = capillary gas chromatography; GC/MS = gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; HPLC = high performance liquid chromatography; MDA = 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; MDE = 3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine; MDEA = 3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine; MDMA = 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; XTC = 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine.