Diphenhydramine (Dip) is one of the antihistamine agents (Anti-His) which are often compounded in cold remedies in Japan. Because of its sedative effects, it is advisable for drivers not to take it. However, as cold remedies can be obtained without a doctor's prescription, Dip is frequently taken by all age groups in Japan. Urine specimens of cadavers from traffic accidents have been found to be Anti-His positive. A noninvasive screening for Anti-His as well as alcohol on drivers seems therefore necessary in order to examine whether etiologically Anti-His was directly involved in the occurrence of traffic accidents. Urine samples were collected from 5 male volunteers at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 24, 36 and 50 hours after Dip intake (a single 30 or 60mg oral dose), and 1 ml of each urine sample was used for the analysis by REMEDi-HS. Dip and its 3 different kinds of metabolites, which reached their maximum concentrations at 3 hours, were detected. Maximum concentration of Dip ranged from 0.53 to 4.15 micrograms per ml (mean value = 1.93 micrograms per ml. SD=1.53). At 1 hour only one specific metabolite was detected. The results show that REMEDi-HS is useful for the Dip screening in human urine samples and that the metabolite is an early index suitable for revealing Dip intake. (A)
Abstract