Brain research bulletin
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Brain research bulletin · Jul 2006
Comparative StudyVariations in respiratory distress characterize the acute agonal period during heroin overdose death: relevance to postmortem mRNA studies.
To determine whether there are factors during apparent rapid heroin overdose death that affect agonal state and thus brain pH (index of hypoxia) that can influence neurobiological systems linked to drug abuse. ⋯ Respiratory distress contributes to variations in the acute agonal state during heroin overdose death that differentially alters brain pH levels and significantly impacts mRNA levels. Such findings should be considered for postmortem molecular/neurochemical neurobiological studies of opiate abusers.