Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 24, Number 2, March, pp.85-89
Fatal Poisoning
With a New Phenylethylamine: 4-Methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA)
Regional Laboratory
for Toxicology, City Hospital N.H.S. Teaching Trust, Dudley Road, Birmingham
B18 7QH, United Kingdom
There has been much publicity in the United Kingdom regarding a new phenylethylamine-based compound called 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA), also known as para-methylthioamphetamine (p-MTA), MTA or “Flatliner”. Chemically, 4-MTA is an amphetamine derivative and is a non-neurotoxic potent serotonin-releasing agent and reversible inhibitor of rat monoamine oxidase-A. Analysis of postmortem blood and urine specimens in a case implicating 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine revealed the presence of 4-MTA at a concentration of 4.6 mg/L in femoral blood and 87.2 mg/L in the urine. The concentration of 4-MTA in perimortem blood was measured at 4.2 mg/L. This is the first reported case of death involving 4-MTA in the United Kingdom and the first case known to involve 4-MTA only.
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 |