The effects of single doses of intramuscularly administered opiates (heroin, morphine, hydromorphone, codeine, oxycodone, oxymorphone) and sublingual buprenorphine were studied in male human volunteers in order to determine the relationship of blood and saliva levels to pharmacologic effects. Additionally, the study was performed to determine if a metabolic marker for heroin abuse could be found in urine and other biological fluids. The subjects were healthy males with a history of heroin abuse. Informed consent was obtained and all procedures were approved by the hospital Institute Review Board. A total of three test doses (placebo and two active doses) were administered in random order. Test measures were made for 24 hours and biological fluids were collected for 7 days after each test. The biological fluids were analyzed for drug and metabolites by chromatographic and immunoassay techniques. The significance of this study lies in the potential value of saliva as a new test medium for detection of drugs of abuse and the characterization of the time course of excretion of metabolite markers for heroin and other opiates in urine and saliva.
