Citation

Larabi IA, Martin M, Etting I, Penot P, Fabresse N, Alvarez JC. Drug Test. Anal. 2018; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Pharmacology-Toxicology, AP-HP, Raymond Poincaré Universitary Hospital, Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University, Inserm U-1173, 92380, Garches, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/dta.2377

PMID

29524346

Abstract

Recently, the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has led to their wide use among clubbers and men who have sex with men (MSM) for their stimulant effects. However, their use in drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) has rarely been described. Herein we report a case of a 44 years-old man who was assaulted after a party. Due to late reporting of the offense, only hair (black) was sampled 15 days later and a segmental analysis was achieved to look for most DFSA agents and NPS. Twenty mg of each segment (A:0-1cm, B:1-3cm and C:3-5cm) were incubated in phosphate buffer pH 5.0. After alkaline liquid extraction and chromatographic separation on 1.9 μm Hypersil GOLD PFP column, compounds were detected by a TSQ Vantage mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization in positive mode with MRM acquisition. 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC), methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and doxylamine were found in proximal segment at very low concentrations (3, 5 and 9 pg/mg, respectively) which is in agreement with a single exposure in the previous month corresponding to the alleged facts. These substances were not detected in segments B and C showing a lack of repetitive exposure before the alleged event. Thus, the results do not contradict the patient's claim of being assaulted. Doxylamine has already been encountered in such cases but no publications referring to 4-MEC or MDPV use have ever been documented. Our case reports the unusual administration of cathinones to achieve a sexual assault and stresses the interest of seeking for designer drugs when dealing with DFSA cases.

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Language: en

Keywords

cathinones; chemsex; drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA); hair; men who have sex with men (MSM); new psychoactive substances (NPS)