Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 23, Number 3, May/June 1999, pp.219-221.
| Technical Note |
Analytical Detection and Quantitation of Strychnine in
Chemically Fixed Organ Tissues
This study reports the results of the detection and quantitation of strychnine in formalin-fixed tissues and in the formalin solutions in which the tissues were fixed. The toxicological analyses were performed on formalin-fixed liver and kidney samples and formalin solutions (10% buffered pH 7) in which the same samples from a case of acute strychnine poisoning were preserved. The analyses carried out at the time of autopsy on body fluid and tissues (bile, 2.40 mg/L; stomach contents, 14.2 mg; liver, 6.68 mg/kg; kidney, 2.68 mg/kg) allowed the identification of this substance as cause of death. The tissue samples were preserved in formalin solutions for 8 weeks. The analyses performed on formalin-fixed tissues (liver and kidney) and on formalin solutions, in which the same tissues were preserved, permitted the detection and quantitation of strychnine (liver, 1.59 mg/kg; formalin from the liver, 1.80 mg/L; kidney, 0.98 mg/kg; formalin from the kidney, 1.11 mg/L). The results indicate that this particular toxic substance also shows good stability in biological specimens subjected to chemical fixation.
Reproduction of editorial content of this journal is prohibited without publisher’s permission.
| This article is available in its entirety by fax for $4.00 per page. Visa or MasterCard accepted. To order electronically click
here Please indicate JAT volume and issue along with page numbers. |
| Home | Subscribe | Current Issue | Back Issues | Search | Advertise | Other Publications | Site Map |