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Poster Presentations
Day 2, June 23（Mon.）
Room P (Maesato East, Foyer, Ocean Wing)
- 2P-AM-46
The investigation into the metabolic pathways of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) using human liver microsomes (HLM)
(1CFS / UTS, 2MaPS / UTS, 3C3 / UTS, 4Brain and Mind Centre / USyd)
oEathan Walker1, Eric Sparkes4, Morgan Alonzo2, Unnikrishnan Kuzhiumparambil3, Shanlin Fu1
Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists (SCRAs) are a subclass of synthetic drugs classified as New
Psychoactive Substances (NPS). These drugs affect both the CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are the same receptors
that traditional cannabinoids such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) engage with
to produce effects in users[1]. The issues with SCRAs are the heightened potency and more intense effects
compared to Δ9-THC and CBD, a situation further complicated by the designer nature of SCRAs. The ability to
make minor chemical alterations to the structure while retaining their effects adds complexity as the number of
compounds increases. It is difficult to determine if an individual has used an SCRA because they are metabolised
rapidly within the body[1,2]. Thus, detection of the parent drug is rare in matrices like urine, but their direct
metabolites can be[3].
This project looks into utilising human liver microsomes[3] assays to produce metabolites of four SCRAs
characterised by LC-QToF-MS analysis. The identification of the biotransformations involved will allow for the
development of metabolic pathways, which in turn will allow for the identification of biomarkers for screening
purposes. Results so far indicate that the SCRAs undergo extensive hydroxylation (mono-, di- and tri-) along with
defluorination and N-dealkylation.