Quantification of intracellular homocysteine by stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A precise and accurate stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of intracellular homocysteine has been developed. An internal standard, [(2)H(8)]-homocystine, was added to cell pellets from EA.hy 926 cells grown in culture under low and high folate concentrations. D,L-dithiothreitol was used to reduce cellular homocystine to homocysteine. Cellular proteins were precipitated by the addition of formic acid in acetonitrile. After centrifugation, a portion of the supernatant was analyzed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Using a Supelcosil cyano column with an Applied Biosystems API 4000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, the SRM transitions for homocysteine (m/z 136 to m/z 90) and [(2)H(4)]-homocysteine (m/z 140 to m/z 94) were monitored. The method was validated by conducting five replicate analyses on three different days at four different concentrations (concentrations at the lower limit of quantitation and expected lower quartile, mid-range and upper quartile). The limit of detection was 2 ng/10(6) EA.hy 926 cells. Using this method, the intracellular homocysteine concentration in EA.hy 926 cells ranged from 10 to 36 ng/10(6) cells.     

Quantification of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide DNA-adducts by stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants found in car exhausts, charbroiled food, and tobacco smoke. Three pathways for the metabolic activation of B[a]P to ultimate carcinogens have been proposed. The most widely accepted pathway involves cytochrome-P450 (CYP) 1A1- and/or 1B1-mediated formation of B[a]P-7,8-oxide, which undergoes epoxide hydrolase-mediated metabolism to the proximate carcinogen B[a]P-7,8-dihydro-7,8-diol. Further CYP1A1- and/or CYP1B1-mediated activation of the dihydrodiol results in the formation of 7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (B[a]PDE), the ultimate carcinogen. In previous studies, it was demonstrated that (+)-anti-B[a]PDE was the most potent tumorigen of the CYP-derived B[a]PDE diastereomers. We have developed a stable isotope dilution, liquid chromatography multiple reaction monitoring/mass spectrometry (LC-MRM/MS) assay for all eight (+/-)-anti-B[a]PDE-derived dGuo and dAdo DNA-adducts. The LC-MRM/MS assay was rigorously validated and used to show that (+)-anti-trans-B[a]PDE-dGuo was the major adduct formed when naked DNA and human bronchoalveolar adenocarcinoma H358 cells were treated with (+/-)-anti-B[a]PDE. The preference for DNA-adducts derived from (+)-anti-B[a]PDE was even more apparent in cellular DNA. Thus, the increased potency of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE as a tumorigen is most likely due its ability to preferentially form DNA-adducts when compared with (-)-anti-B[a]PDE. Also, the adduct profile suggests that this occurs by binding of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE to DNA in a manner that facilitates covalent binding to dGuo rather than dAdo residues.     

Quantification of isoflavones and lignans in serum using isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Phytoestrogens (isoflavones and lignans) are receiving increasing attention due to a potential protective effect against a number of complex diseases. However, in order to investigate these associations, it is necessary to accurately quantify the levels of phytoestrogens in foods and biological fluids. We report an assay for three isoflavones (daidzein, genistein, and glycitein), two metabolites of daidzein (O-desmethylangolensin and equol), and two lignans (enterodiol and enterolactone) in human serum using electrospray ionisation liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) with selective reaction monitoring. A simple, highly automated sample preparation procedure requires only 200 microL of sample and utilises one solid-phase extraction stage. Limits of detection are in the region of 10 pg/mL for all analytes except equol, which had a limit of detection of approximately 100 pg/mL. The method developed is suitable for measuring the concentrations of phytoestrogens in blood samples collected from large epidemiological studies. The results of the analysis of serum samples from 300 men and women living in the UK are reported.     

Quantification of Cry1Ab in genetically modified maize leaves by liquid chromatography multiple reaction monitoring tandem mass spectrometry using 18O stable isotope dilution

Cry1Ab is one of the most common Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins in genetically modified crops, which exhibits strong resistance against insect pests. In the present study, a sensitive and precise liquid chromatography stable isotope dilution multiple reaction monitoring tandem mass spectrometry (LC-SID-MRM-MS) assay was developed and validated to quantify the amount of Cry1Ab expression in transgenic maize leaves. The measurement of protein was converted to measurement of unique peptides to Cry1Ab protein. Two peptides unique to Cry1Ab were synthesized and labeled in H(2)(18)O to generate (18)O stable isotope peptides as internal standards. The validated method obtained superior specificity and good linearity. And the inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy for all samples were satisfactory. The results demonstrated Cry1Ab protein was 31.7 ± 4.1 μg g(-1) dry weight in Bt-176 transgenic maize leaves. It proved that the novel LC-SID-MRM-MS method was sensitive and selective to quantify Cry1Ab in the crude extract without time-consuming pre-separation or purification procedures.     

Determination of aflatoxins in animal feeds by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with isotope dilution

The objective of the present study is to develop a simple, fast method for detection of aflatoxins in animal feeds. Simultaneous quantitation of four aflatoxins (AFB(1), AFB(2), AFG(1) and AFG(2)) in animal feeds was achieved in a single liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) run. The solid-phase extraction cleanup step is eliminated with the stable isotope dilution method. Matrix effects were observed and overcome by isotope dilution. The method was tested in a variety of animal feed matrices and proved to be accurate and reliable. Method ruggedness tests resulted in recoveries of 78% to 122% with an intra-day assay precision of 2% to 15% and an inter-day assay precision of 3% to 17%. These results indicate that this method is suitable for quantitation of aflatoxins in animal feeds.     

Quantification of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cigarette smoke condensate using stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography with atmospheric‐pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry

A stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cigarette smoke condensate was developed and validated. Compared with previously reported methods, this method has lower limits of detection (0.04–1.35 ng/cig). Additionally, the proposed method saves time, reduces the number of separation steps, and reduces the quantity of solvent needed. The new method was applied to evaluate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in 213 commercially available cigarettes in China, under the International Standardization Organization smoking regime and the Health Canadian intense smoking regime. The results showed that the total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content was more than two times higher in samples from the Health Canadian intense smoking regime than in samples from the International Standardization Organization smoking regime (1189.23 versus 2859.50 ng/cig, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the concentration of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) increased with labeled tar content in both of the tested smoking regimes. There was a positive correlation between total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons under the International Standardization Organization smoking regime with that under the Health Canadian intense smoking regime. The proposed liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method is satisfactory for the rapid, sensitive, and accurate quantitative evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in cigarette smoke condensate, and it can be applied to assess potential health risks from smoking.     

Determination of phenylalanine in human serum by isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC/MS/MS) has been developed as a candidate reference method to determine the level of phenylalanine in human serum. The advantages of this method include a simple sample preparation without derivatization, selective detection of analytes, and the use of an isotopic analogue as an internal standard. Phenylalanine and its isotopic analogue, phenylalanine-ring-(13)C(6), were monitored at the transitions m/z 166.2/120.2 and 172.2/126.2 in the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, respectively. The expanded uncertainty of the measurement result of phenylalanine in the serum was approximately 1.2% within a 95% confidence level. A standard reference material, with a certified value of phenylalanine, was analyzed in order to verify this method. The result obtained by the ID-LC/MS/MS method differed somewhat from the certified value, but agreed well with the gravimetric value. The measurement result of phenylalanine in serum by ID-LC/MS/MS was compared with the results from the commercial HPLC method, which was carried out in clinics. The results from the commercial HPLC method showed inconsistent results with each other. The busted results from the commercial HPLC method suggest that it should be possible to trace the results of the commercial fields to well-characterized reference materials or methods.     

Analysis of procyanidins in chocolate by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric detection

Four cation-exchange materials, possessing propanesulfonic acid ligands, for use in capillary electrochromatography were prepared from different commercially available 5-microm bare-silica particles ranging from 80 to 800 A in pore size. The performance of the materials was investigated at different compositions of the mobile phase (pH, ionic strength, and acetonitrile content) using tricyclic antidepressants and related quaternary ammonium analogues as test analytes. The wide-pore materials promoted pore flow, but this had no positive influence on the performance. The small-pore (highest surface area) particles gave, as could be expected, the best selectivity.     

Direct and simultaneous profiling of epoxyeicosatrienoic acid enantiomers by capillary tandem column chiral-phase liquid chromatography with dual online photodiode array and tandem mass spectrometric detection

Despite first evidence for the cytochrome P450-mediated enantioselective biosynthesis and activity of cis-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), as yet little is known about the stereospecifity of EET generation and physiology, because the existing chiral methods are time consuming, labor intensive, and not sensitive enough. We present a method for highly sensitive, direct, and simultaneous chiral analysis of all eight EET enantiomers consisting of (i) solid-phase extraction, (ii) reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic purification followed by (iii) consecutive regio- and enantiomeric separation of the four underivatized EET regioisomers within one chromatographic run employing capillary tandem column chiral-phase liquid chromatography with (iv) reliable dual online photodiode array and gentle electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric identification and quantitation of the eluting optical antipodes. This one-step, simple, expeditious, and highly sensitive measurement allows profiling of all eight EET enantiomers at once, thus avoiding substance loss and enabling high sample throughput. Limits of quantification in the low picogram range were achieved by the use of capillary columns with typical high quantitative sensitivity instead of conventional columns with low chromatographic signal intensity employed by previous methods. Application to tissue homogenates demonstrated the suitability of this approach for routine and reliable “enantioprofiling” of free endogenous EETs, i.e., EETs not esterified into cellular membrane phospholipids, typically occurring at very low concentrations. The technique can readily be employed for preparative purification of enantiomers in the microgram range using large-inner-diameter columns. Figure Direct and simultaneous enantioprofiling of the four free endogenous epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) from a complex biological matrix, like the cardiopulmonary system, within one chromatographic run by highly sensitive, one-step capillary tandem column chiral-phase liquid chromatography with dual online photodiode array and tandem mass spectrometric detection (CapTC-CP-LC-PDAD-ESI-MS²) enables accurate, systematic, and routine correlation between the absolute configuration of EETs and their physiological actions Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Simultaneous determination of albendazole and its metabolites in fish muscle tissue by stable isotope dilution ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, specific, and sensitive method utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated to determine albendazole, albendazole sulfoxide, albendazole sulfone, and albendazole 2-aminosulfone in fish muscle tissue. The fish samples were extracted with ethyl acetate, then the organic phase was evaporated to dryness, and the residue was reconstituted in methanol–water solution and cleaned up by n-hexane. Reversed-phase separation of target compounds was achieved using a BEH C18 column and a gradient consisting of 0.2% (v/v) formic acid and methanol. Tandem mass spectrometry analyses were performed on a triple–quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer. In the whole procedure, the isotope-labeled internal standards were used to correct the matrix effect and variations associated with the analysis. The method was validated with respect to linearity, specificity, accuracy, and precision. The method exhibited a linear response from 0.1 to 20 ng mL^-1 (r ² > 0.9985). The limit of quantitation for albendazole (ABZ), albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO), albendazole sulfone (ABZSO₂), and albendazole 2-aminosulfone (ABZ-2-NH₂SO₂) was 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, and 0.2 ng g^-1, respectively. The mean recoveries of ABZ, ABZSO, ABZSO₂, and ABZ-2-NH₂SO₂ spiked at a level of 0.2–5.0 ng g^-1 were 95.3–113.7%, and the relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day measurements were less than 6.38%. The method was later successfully applied to the determination of albendazole and its three metabolites in 60 fish samples collected from local markets.     

Rapid simultaneous determination of dexamethasone and betamethasone in milk by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with isotope dilution

A simple, sensitive and reliable analytical method for the rapid simultaneous determination of dexamethasone and betamethasone in milk by high performance liquid chromatography–negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–NESI-MS/MS) with isotope dilution was developed. Samples were directly purified through C₁₈ cartridge. Then the eluate was dried under nitrogen and residues were dissolved in mobile phase. Samples were analyzed by HPLC–MS/MS on a Hypercarb graphite column with a mixture of acetonitrile–water–formic acid as mobile phase. The samples were quantified using dexamethasone-D₄ as an internal standard. The procedure was validated according to the European Union regulation 2002/657/EC determining specificity, decision limit (CCα), detection capability (CCβ), trueness, precision, linearity and stability. The method is demonstrated to be suitable for the determination of dexamethasone and betamethasone in milk. The total time required for the analysis of one sample was about 35 min.     

Determination of dithiocarbamate fungicide residues by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and stable isotope dilution assay

A rapid and very sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS) method for the simultaneous determination of dithiocarbamate (DTC) fungicide residues in fruits and vegetables was developed. The surface extraction of samples used an alkaline buffer consisting of sodium hydrogen carbonate and DL-penicillamine. The three DTC subclasses, i.e. dimethyldithiocarbamates (DMDs), ethylenebis(dithiocarbamates) (EBDs), and propylenebis(dithiocarbamates) (PBDs), were separated on a Sequant ZIC-pHILIC column using an acetonitrile/10 mM ammonia gradient. Because of the instability of DTC residues extracted from plant samples, a stable isotope dilution assay was applied. For each DTC subclass, the limits of detection and quantification were approximately 0.03 mg kg(-1) and 0.05 mg kg(-1), respectively. Recoveries from grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and rucola, spiked in the range of 0.01-0.9 mg kg(-1), averaged between 90 and 100%.     

Quantitative determination of chloramphenicol in milk powders by isotope dilution liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

A method is described for the determination of residues of the illegal antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP) in milk powders. The analyte is quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS) operating in negative ion multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) after a liquid-liquid extraction followed by a clean-up step on solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. Because of the presence of two chlorine atoms in the CAP molecule, four specific transition reactions of CAP were monitored by MS-MS in selecting m/z 321 --> 257, 321 --> 152 (35Cl2) and m/z 323 --> 257, 323 --> 152 (37Cl35Cl). Two calibration curves were constructed by plotting the area ratio of m/z 321 --> 152 versus 326 --> 157 and m/z 321 --> 257 versus 326 --> 262 against their corresponding amount ratio. Indeed, even if m/z 321 --> 152 was found to give a higher MS-MS response (calibration curve used by default), an interfering chemical substance was sometimes observed for some milk extracts and not for the transition m/z 321 --> 257. The quantitation method was validated according to the European Union (EU) criteria for the analysis of veterinary drug residues at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 microg/kg concentration levels using d5-CAP as internal standard. The decision limit (CCalpha) and detection capability (CCbeta) of CAP in milk were calculated for m/z 321 --> 152 at 0.02 microg/kg and 0.03 microg/kg, respectively, and for m/z 321 --> 257 at 0.02 microg/kg and 0.04 microg/kg, respectively. At the lowest fortification level (i.e. 0.1 microg/kg), repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility were calculated for m/z 321 --> 257 both at 0.02 microg/kg and for m/z 321 --> 152 at 0.03 and 0.05 microg/kg, respectively. Moreover, the measurement of uncertainty of the analytical method was calculated at the same spiking levels and falls within the precision values of the within-laboratory reproducibility. This method can be applied to several types of milk powders (e.g. full cream, skim) and can serve as a monitoring tool to avoid that unacceptable levels of residues of CAP enter the food chain.     

Stable isotope dilution analysis of N-acetylaspartic acid in urine by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) is a specific urinary marker for Canavan disease, an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy. We developed a 'dilute and shoot' stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for determination of NAA in urine. Deuterated internal standard d(3)-NAA was added to untreated urine and the mixture was injected into the LC-MS/MS system operated in the negative ion mode. Chromatography was carried out on a C(8) minibore column using 50% acetonitrile solution containing 0.05% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The retention time was 1.6 min and the turnaround time was 2.2 min. NAA and d(3)-NAA were analyzed in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Calibrators and quality control samples were prepared in pooled control urine. The assay was linear up to 2000 micromol/L with limit of quantification at 1 micromol/L (S/N = 12). Interassay and intraassay coefficients of variation were less than 7% and recovery at three different concentrations was 98.9-102.5%. The LC-MS/MS method for NAA as described involves no extraction and no derivatization, showed no interference and gave excellent recovery with low variability and short analytical time. The method was successfully applied for the retrospective analysis of urine from 21 Canavan disease cases.     

The assay of pterostilbene in spiked matrices by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and isotope dilution method

Pterostilbene (trans‐3,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐hydroxystilbene) is an active component found in several plant species, exhibiting important pharmacological properties. A new and reliable method of assaying this phyto compound in various matrices is presented; the assay is based on (1) the selectivity of liquid chromatography (LC) hyphenated with electrospray ionisation (ESI), (2) the specificity of a two‐step mass spectrometric analysis (MS/MS) and (3) the accuracy of the isotope dilution method. The labelled analogue may be conveniently synthesised in a few steps. The sensitivity of the method is confirmed by the very low limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values achieved in the assay of pterostilbene in two distinct fortified matrices, and is further supported by the observed accuracy values. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitative determination of amoxicillin in animal feed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection

A liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of amoxicillin (AMO) in animal feed was developed and validated. The method was used to examine the quality requirements for products intended for incorporation into animal feedingstuffs (medicated premixes), as documented in the EMEA/CVMP/080/95-Final guideline. After addition of the internal standard (ampicillin), the medicated feed samples were extracted using a 0.01 M potassium dihydrogenphosphate buffer solution (pH 4.5), followed by a centrifugation and filtration step. An appropriately diluted aliquot of the extract was analysed on a PLRP-S polymeric column (150 mm x 2.1 mm i.d., 100 A) using a mixture of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile as the mobile phase. Gradient elution was performed at a flow-rate of 0.2 mL min(-1). The mass spectrometer was used in the positive electrospray ionization MS/MS mode. The LC-MS/MS method was validated for linearity, trueness, precision, limit of quantification, limit of detection and specificity. The results fell within the ranges specified. The method was used for the homogeneity and stability testing of AMO in a commercial medicated feed. Some extracts were also injected onto a LC-UV and LC-fluorescence instrument (after pre-column derivatization with a formaldehyde reagent). These experiments showed that the LC-MS/MS method was superior with regard to speed of analysis, selectivity and sensitivity.     

Simultaneous determination of honokiol and magnolol in Magnolia officinalis by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection

An optimized high-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of honokiol and magnolol in Magnolia officinalis. Honokiol and magnolol were separated from the extracts using a reversed-phase C(18) column with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and water (75:25, v/v) at a flow-rate of 0.8 mL/min. Selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode was used for all sample quantification by the precursor-ion/product ion pair m/z 265 --> m/z 224 for honokiol and m/z 265 --> m/z 247 for magnolol. Validation data showed that this method has good linearity (r(2) > 0.995) over the concentration range of 0.0025-0.5 microg/mL for honokiol and magnolol, and both intra- and inter-day variability were acceptable within 15% at the lowest concentrations for this method. This proposed method provides excellent specificity, higher sensitivity and shorter run time than conventional methods and was applied successfully to determine the contents of honokiol and magnolol in M. officinalis.     

Quantification of ochratoxin A in foods by a stable isotope dilution assay using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA) was developed for quantification of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) by using [2H5]-OTA as internal standard. The synthesis of labelled OTA was accomplished by acid hydrolysis of unlabelled OTA and subsequent coupling one of the products, ochratoxin alpha, to [2H5]-L-phenylalanine. The mycotoxin was quantified in foods by LC-tandem MS after extraction with buffers containing [2H5]-OTA and clean-up by immuno affinity chromatography or by solid phase extraction on silica. The method showed a sufficient sensitivity with a low detection and quantification limit of 0.5 and 1.4 microg/kg, respectively, and good precision in inter-assay studies showing a CV (n = 3) of 3.6%. The analysis of certified reference materials resulted in a low bias of 2.1% from the certified values and revealed excellent accuracy of the new method. To prove the suitability of SIDA. OTA was quantified in a number of food samples and resulted mainly in not detectable OTA contents. However, three samples of raisins exceeded the legal limit of 10 microg/kg and highlighted the need for further controlling the contamination with the mycotoxin.     

Quantification of N-acetyl- and N-glycolylneuraminic acids by a stable isotope dilution assay using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The present report describes a method for the quantification of N-acetyl- and N-glycolylneuraminic acids without any derivatization, using their (13)C(3)-isotopologues as internal standards and a C(18) reversed-phase column modified by decylboronic acid which allows for the first time a complete chromatographic separation between the two analytes. The method is based on high-performance liquid chromatographic coupled with electrospray ion-trap mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification of the method is 0.1mg/L (2.0ng on column) for both analytes. The calibration curves are linear for both sialic acids over the range of 0.1-80mg/L (2.0-1600ng on column) with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.997. The proposed method was applied to the quantitative determination of sialic acids released from fetuin as a model of glycoproteins.