In Vitro Metabolite Profiling of ADB-FUBINACA, A New Synthetic Cannabinoid

Title:In Vitro Metabolite Profiling of ADB-FUBINACA, A New Synthetic Cannabinoid

Volume: 15 Issue: 5

Author(s): Jeremy Carlier, Xingxing Diao, Ariane Wohlfarth, Karl Scheidweiler and Marilyn A. Huestis*

Affiliation:

• Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, IRP, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224,United States

Keywords: ADB-FUBINACA, synthetic cannabinoid, novel psychoactive substances, metabolism, hepatocytes, LC-HRMS

Abstract: Background: Metabolite profiling of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) is critical for documenting drug consumption. N-(1-amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1Hindazole- 3-carboxamide (ADB-FUBINACA) is an emerging synthetic cannabinoid whose toxicological and metabolic data are currently unavailable.

Methods: We aimed to determine optimal markers for identifying ADB-FUBINACA intake. Metabolic stability was evaluated with human liver microsome incubations. Metabolites were identified after 1 and 3 h incubation with pooled human hepatocytes, liquid chromatography- high resolution mass spectrometry in positive-ion mode (5600+ TripleTOF®, Sciex) and several data mining approaches (MetabolitePilot™, Sciex).

Results: Metabolite separation was achieved on an Ultra Biphenyl column (Restek®); full-scan TOFMS and information-dependent acquisition MS/MS data were acquired. ADB-FUBINACA microsomal half-life was 39.7 min, with a predicted hepatic clearance of 9.0 mL/min/kg and a 0.5 extraction ratio (intermediate-clearance drug). Twenty-three metabolites were identified. Major metabolic pathways were alkyl and indazole hydroxylation, terminal amide hydrolysis, subsequent glucuronide conjugations, and dehydrogenation.

Conclusion: We recommend ADB-FUBINACA hydroxyalkyl, hydroxydehydroalkyl and hydroxylindazole metabolites as ADB-FUBINACA intake markers. N-dealkylated metabolites are not specific ADB-FUBINACA metabolites and should not be used as definitive markers of consumption. This is the first ADB-FUBINACA in vitro metabolism study; in vivo experiments enabling pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies or urine from authentic clinical/forensic cases are needed to confirm our results.

Cite this article as:

Carlier Jeremy, Diao Xingxing, Wohlfarth Ariane, Scheidweiler Karl and Huestis A. Marilyn*, In Vitro Metabolite Profiling of ADB-FUBINACA, A New Synthetic Cannabinoid, Current Neuropharmacology 2017; 15 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X15666161108123419

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X15666161108123419	Print ISSN 1570-159X
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-6190