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ArticleForensic toxicology2025

Identification of a novel imidazole-derived GABA agonist isopropoxate: simultaneous detection and quantification of imidazole-derived analogs from human hairs in abused cases by LC-MS/MS.

Xiaolong Zhang, Yuxuan Chen, Jinlei Liu, Mengchao Wang, Yinyin Dai, Kundi Zhao, Jie Gu, Huimin Zhang, Amin Wurita, Koutaro Hasegawa

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Article in Forensic toxicology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

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5citing papers in PubMed
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3 · Its place in the literature

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5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xiaolong Zhang *Department of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Yuxuan ChenDepartment of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Jinlei LiuCriminal Science and Technology Office, Public Security Bureau, Qingshuihe County, Hohhot, China.
Mengchao WangDepartment of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Yinyin DaiDepartment of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Kundi ZhaoDepartment of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Jie GuDepartment of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Huimin ZhangDepartment of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Amin WuritaDepartment of Legal Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China. aminwurita@gmail.com.
Koutaro HasegawaDepartment of Legal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan. 07484771@hama-med.ac.jp.

Funding

the national nature science foundation of China No. 82360335
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDistribution and abuse of imidazole-derived γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists, such as etomidate and metomidate, and their analogs have been encountered frequently especially in China. The aim of this study was to identify etomidate, metomidate, propoxate, and isopropoxate more accurately by establishing a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method and applying it to real forensic cases.

methodsOne mg of the seized powder was dissolved in 1 mL of methanol, and subjected to GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Hair samples were washed and cut into approximately 2 mm sections, then ground to powder by a low-temperature grinder. Twenty mg of the hair powder was extracted with 1 mL of methanol, and the supernatant was subjected to LC-MS/MS.

resultsEtomidate, metomidate, propoxate, and isopropoxate were chromatographically separated and each mass spectrum was obtained by GC-MS. For LC-MS/MS, tested validation data were all satisfactory. The seized powder samples contained isopropoxate, with an approximate content of 30.9%. Etomidate, etomidate acid, metomidate, and isopropoxate could be determined in the submitted hairs, ranging from 2.89 to 8.09 ng/mg, 0.0591-0.177 ng/mg, 0.342-2.77 ng/mg, and 33.2-130 ng/mg, respectively.

conclusionsMass spectra and ion chromatograms of etomidate, metomidate, isopropoxate, and propoxate were obtained by GC-MS. We have also established a simultaneous and reliable analytical method for etomidate, etomidate acid, metomidate, and isopropoxate in human hair by LC-MS/MS. This is the first report to present analytical results of a novel imidazole-derived GABA agonist isopropoxate in drug abuse cases.

Indexed as

EtomidateHairImidazolesChromatography, LiquidForensic ToxicologyGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryHumansLiquid Chromatography-Mass SpectrometrySubstance Abuse DetectionTandem Mass SpectrometryEtomidateImidazolesAbused drugHuman hairImidazole-derived GABA agonistIsopropoxateLC–MS/MS

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.