Analysis of scopolamine and its eighteen metabolites in rat urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive method is described for the determination of scopolamine and its metabolites in rat urine by combining liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Various extraction techniques (free fraction, acid hydrolyses and enzyme hydrolyses) and their comparison were carried out for investigation of the metabolism of scopolamine. After extraction procedure, the pretreated samples were injected into a reversed-phase C18 column with mobile phase of methanol/ ammonium acetate (2 mM, adjusted to pH 3.5 with formic acid) (70:30, v/v) and detected by an on-line MS/MS system. Identification and structural elucidation of the metabolites were performed by comparing their changes in molecular masses (ΔM), retention-times and full scan MSⁿ spectra with those of the parent drug. The results revealed that at least 18 metabolites (norscopine, scopine, tropic acid, aponorscopolamine, aposcopolamine, norscopolamine, hydroxyscopolamine, hydroxyscopolamine N-oxide, p-hydroxy-m-methoxyscopolamine, trihydroxyscopolamine, dihydroxy-methoxyscopolamine, hydroxyl-dimethoxyscopolamine, glucuronide conjugates and sulfate conjugates of norscopolamine, hydroxyscopolamine and the parent drug) and the parent drug existed in urine after ingesting 55 mg/kg scopolamine to healthy rats. Hydroxyscopolamine, p-hydroxy-m-methoxyscopolamine and the parent drug were detected in rat urine for up 106 h after ingestion of scopolamine.     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时快速确证检测血浆和尿液中的42种精神药物及其代谢产物

针对公共卫生突发事件和临床毒物学检测实践中亟待解决的问题,建立了血浆和尿液中42种精神药物及其代谢产物的超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)快速确证分析方法。样品经乙腈沉淀后,以乙酸铵和甲醇-乙腈(1:1, v/v)混合液作为流动相进行梯度洗脱,在Acquity UPLC BEH C18色谱柱上分离后用电喷雾串联质谱法检测,采用正、负离子快速切换多反应监测模式监测,基质标准同位素内标法定量。血浆样品中待测组分的加标回收率除了奋乃静、硫利哒嗪和氯丙嗪的分别为37.6%～57.5%, 36.3%～48.3%和52.4%～67.4%外,尿液样品中待测组分的加标回收率除了曲唑酮和地西泮的分别为100%～142%和108%～177%外,血浆和尿液中其余待测组分的加标回收率分别为60.2%～125%和64.5%～126%,相对标准偏差分别为0.8%～26%和2.6%～18%(n=6);除了巴比妥类药物的检出限为20～100 mg/L外,其余药物的检出限均为0.05～2.0 mg/L。该方法简单、快速、特异性强、灵敏度高。     

Sensitive determination of phloroglucinol in human plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Summary A sensitive and selective liquid chromatographic method coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) was developed for the quantification of phloroglucinol in human plasma. Resorcinol was used as internal standard, with plasma samples extracted using ethyl acetate. A centrifuged upper layer was then evaporated and reconstituted with mobile phase. The reconsituted samples were injected into a C₁₈ XTerra MS column (2.1×100 mm) with 3.5 μm particle size. The analytical column lasted for at least 500 injections. The mobile phase was 15% acetonitrile (pH 3.0), with a flow rate at 100 μL min¹. The mass spectrometer was operated in positive ion mode using electrospray ionization. Using MS-MS in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, phloroglucinol was detected without severe interferences from the plasma matrix. Phloroglucinol produced a parent molecule ([M+H]⁺) atm/z 127 and a corresponding product ion atm/z 8l. Detection of phloroglucinol in human plasma was accurate and precise, with quantification on limit at 0.5 ng mL¹. The method has been successfully applied to a study of phloroglucinol in human specimens.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定人尿液中7种邻苯二甲酸酯代谢物

建立了同时检测人尿液中7种邻苯二甲酸酯代谢物的高效液相色谱-串联三重四极杆质谱法。尿液经酶水解后,采用萃取柱净化,以2%(v/v)甲酸甲醇溶液为洗脱剂,经苯基柱分离,以0.1%(v/v)乙酸水溶液和0.1%(v/v)乙酸乙腈溶液为流动相进行梯度洗脱,采用电喷雾离子源负离子模式和多反应监测模式采集信号,用同位素内标法进行定量分析。尿液中7种邻苯二甲酸酯代谢物在0.2~200.0 μg/L范围内定量离子的相对峰面积比值与质量浓度均呈良好线性关系(r≥0.99976);检出限(LOD)为13.43~80.21 ng/L,定量限为44.77~267.37 ng/L; 3个水平的加标回收率为88.8%~108.9%,日内和日间精密度均不大于17.05%。该方法可同时准确、灵敏、简便地测定人尿液中7种邻苯二甲酸酯代谢物的暴露水平。     

Determination of denaverine and its metabolites in urine samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS-MS) method was developed for the determination of the neurotropic-musculotropic spasmolytic agent denaverine and five of its metabolites in urine. In a first step beta-glucuronidase was used to cleave glucuronides in the human urine. After that samples containing denaverine and its phase I metabolites were extracted and cleaned up using an automated solid phase extraction method. An external calibration was used. The analytes were measured employing the multiple reaction-monitoring mode (MRM). The linear dynamic range for denaverine and its five metabolites determination was demonstrated from lower limit of quantification (8.0 ng/ml) to at least 500 ng/ml. The presented method is suitable for pharmacokinetic or toxicokinetic studies. With the help of reference substances some additional potential metabolites could be excluded in the urine samples. To look for additional unknown metabolites the LC-MS-MS system operated on one hand in the precursor ion mode using typical product ions of denaverine and of its metabolites and on the other hand in the product ion mode using postulated protonated molecules [M+H](+). With the help of the chromatographic behaviour and typical fragment ions of the unknown metabolites it was possible to elucidate their structures. Nine until now unknown metabolites were found in the urine samples. However, without reference substances a quantification of these analytes was not possible.     

Sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of hydrochlorothiazide in human plasma

A simple, rapid, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantification of hydrochlorothiazide (I), a common diuretic and anti-hypertensive agent. The analyte and internal standard, tamsulosin (II) were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether-dichloromethane (70:30, v/v) using a Glas-Col Multi-Pulse Vortexer. The chromatographic separation was performed on a reversed-phase column (Waters symmetry C18) with a mobile phase of 10 mm ammonium acetate-methanol (15:85, v/v). The protonated analyte was quantitated in negative ionization by multiple reaction monitoring with a mass spectrometer. The mass transitions m/z 296.1 solidus in circle 205.0 and m/z 407.2 solidus in circle 184.9 were used to measure I and II, respectively. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.5-200 ng/mL for hydrochlorothiazide in human plasma. The lower limit of quantitation was 500 pg/mL, with a relative standard deviation of less than 9%. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for concentrations over the standard curve ranges. A run time of 2.5 min for each sample made it possible to analyze a throughput of more than 400 human plasma samples per day. The validated method has been successfully used to analyze human plasma samples for application in pharmacokinetic, bioavailability or bioequivalence studies.     

Sensitive determination of D-lactic acid and L-lactic acid in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

d ‐Lactic acid in urine originates mainly from bacterial production in the intestinal tract. Increased d ‐lactate excretion as observed in patients affected by short bowel syndrome or necrotizing enterocolitis reflects d ‐lactic overproduction. Therefore, there is a need for a reliable and sensitive method able to detect d ‐lactic acid even at subclinical elevation levels. A new and highly sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of l ‐ and d ‐lactic acid by a two‐step procedure has been developed. This method is based on the concentration of lactic acid enantiomers from urine by supported liquid extraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The separation was achieved by the use of an Astec Chirobiotic? R chiral column under isocratic conditions. The calibration curves were linear over the ranges of 2–400 and 0.5–100 µmol/L respectively for l ‐ and d ‐lactic acid. The limit of detection of d ‐lactic acid was 0.125 µmol/L and its limit of quantification was 0.5 µmol/L. The overall accuracy and precision were well within 10% of the nominal values. The developed method is suitable for production of reference values in children and could be applied for accurate routine analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous determination of direct oral anticoagulants in human plasma

Direct oral anticoagulants are widely used in many indications to prevent thromboembolic events. Routine therapeutic monitoring is not required; however, there is increasing evidence suggesting the benefit of plasma level measurement in some situations. In addition, laboratory monitoring might help improve patient and drug non-compliance and thus individualize therapy. In the present study, we developed a sensitive and high throughput ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous quantification of apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban in human plasma. A one-step extraction procedure in 96-well formate for phospholipid and protein removal was used for sample pre-treatment, and analytes were separated using gradient elution over 4.2 min. Analytes were detected on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer by multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method was validated according to the European Medicine Agency guideline for the selectivity, linearity, and lower limit of detection, precision and accuracy, matrix effects, extraction recovery, carryover, dilution integrity, and stability over a concentration range of 3.0–1000 ng/ml for all analytes. The validated method was applied to real clinical samples of patients treated with one of the drugs. Therefore, we can conclude that our method is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of direct oral anticoagulants.     

Characterization and determination of the alkaloid metabolites of Evodiae fructus in rat urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection

The lack of authentic standards limits the quantitative analysis of herbal drugs in biological samples. This present work demonstrated a practicable assay of herbs and their metabolites independent of the availability of authentic standards. A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the metabolites after oral administration of Evodiae fructus and Zuojinwan preparation in rat urine has been developed. Urine samples extracted with a protein precipitation procedure were separated on a C(18) column using a mixture of water (containing 0.1% formic acid) and acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) as mobile phase. The detection was performed by MS with electrospray ionization interface in positive selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. One urine sample after administration was selected as 'standard'. The method validation was carried out according to a conventional method that was calibrated by authentic standards. The fully validated method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of the metabolites in rat urine. The results could provide evidence to explain the combination of Coptidis rhizoma and Evodiae fructus in terms of elimination.     

Sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method for determination of steviol in rat plasma

The main toxicological concern of stevioside, a highly potent sweetener from S. rebaudiana, is its main metabolite, steviol. To determine very low levels of steviol in in vivo experiments, a sensitive liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-MS) method was developed for quantifying steviol in rat plasma after oral administration of a single dose of stevioside (0.5 g/kg). The sample preparation uses liquid-liquid extraction with tert-butyl methyl ether in an acidic environment. The retention time of steviol was 10.5 min. The assay was linear over the range 2-1000 ng/mL with a lower limit of detection of 1 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision were <5 and <7%, respectively, and the accuracy was in the range 95-108%. The steviol concentration profile in rat plasma was determined.     

Determination of propiverine and its metabolites in rat samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS-MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of the anticholinergic and antimuscarinc drug propiverine and eight of its metabolites in serum, urine, faeces and different tissue samples of rats. Samples containing propiverine and its metabolites in serum and urine and in the supernatants of faeces and tissue homogenates were extracted and cleaned up using an automated solid phase extraction (SPE) method. An external calibration was used. The analytes were measured employing the multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). A sufficient response over the range of 10-1000 ng/ml was demonstrated. The lower limit of quantification of the nine substances was 10 ng/ml. The presented method is suitable for pharmacokinetic or toxicokinetic studies. To look for additional unknown metabolites, the LC-MS-MS system operated in the precursor ion mode using typical product ions of propiverine and of its metabolites. With the help of the chromatographic behaviour and typical fragment ions of the unknown metabolites, it was possible to elucidate their structure. Five until now unknown metabolites were found in the urine and faeces samples. However, without reference substances, a quantification of these analytes was not possible.     

Sensitive liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of beclomethasone dipropionate and its metabolites in equine plasma and urine

Beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) is a potent pro-drug to beclomethasone (BOH) and is used in the treatment of chronic and acute respiratory disorders in the horse. The therapeutic dose of BDP (325 microg per horse) by inhalation results in very low plasma and urinary concentrations of BDP and its metabolites that pose a challenge to detection and confirmation by equine forensic laboratories. To solve this problem, a method involving the use of a liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed for the detection, confirmation and quantification of the analytes in equine samples. Ammonium formate or acetate buffer added to LC mobile phase favored the formation of [M + H](+) ions from BDP and its metabolites, whereas formic acid led to the formation of sodium and potassium adduct ions ([M + Na](+), [M + K](+)) together with [M + H](+) ions. Acetonitrile, on the other hand, favored the formation of abundant solvent adduct ions [M + H + CH(3)CN](+) with the analytes under electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization conditions. In contrast, methanol formed much less solvent adduct ions than acetonitrile. The solvent adduct ions were thermally stable and could not be completely desolvated under the experimental conditions, but they were very fragile to collision-induced dissociation (CID). Interestingly, these solvent adduct ions were observed on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry but not on an ion trap instrument where helium used as a damping gas in the ion trap might cause the solvent adduct ions desolvated by collision. By CID studies on the [M + H](+) ions of BDP and its metabolites, their fragmentation paths were proposed. In equine plasma at ambient temperature over 2 h, BDP and B21P were hydrolyzed in part to B17P and BOH, respectively, but B17P was not hydrolyzed. Sodium fluoride added to equine plasma inhibited the hydrolysis of BDP and B21P. The matrix effect in ESI was evaluated in equine plasma and urine samples. The method involved the extraction of BDP and its metabolites from equine plasma and urine samples by methyl tert-butyl ether, resolution on a C(8) column with a mobile phase gradient consisting of methanol and ammonium formate (2 mmol l(-1), pH 3.4) and multiple reaction monitoring for the analytes on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. The detection limit was 13 pg ml(-1) for BDP and B17P, 25 pg ml(-1) for BOH and 50 pg ml(-1) for B21P in plasma and 25 pg ml(-1) for BOH in urine. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of equine plasma and urine samples for the analytes following administration of BDP to horses by inhalation. B17P, the major and active metabolite of BDP, was detected and quantified in equine plasma up to 4 h post-administration by inhalation of a very low therapeutic dose (325 microg per horse) of BDP.     

Simultaneous determination of salidroside and its aglycone metabolite p-tyrosol in rat plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Salidroside and its aglycone p-tyrosol are two major phenols in the genus Rhodiola and have been confirmed to possess various pharmacological properties. In our present study, p-tyrosol was identified as the deglycosylation metabolite of salidroside after intravenous (i.v.) administration to rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg, but was not detectable after intragastric gavage (i.g.) administration through HPLC-photodiode array detection (PDA) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Next, an accurate and precise LC-MS/MS method was developed to quantitatively determine salidroside and p-tyrosol in rat plasma samples. Samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS on a reverse-phase xTerra MS C18 column which was equilibrated and eluted with an isocratic mixture of acetonitrile-water (1:9, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The analytes were monitored by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) under the negative electrospray ionization mode. The precursor/product transitions (m/z) were 299.0 → 118.8 for salidroside, 137.0 → 118.9 for p-tyrosol and 150.1 → 106.9 for the internal standard (IS), paracetamol, respectively. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration ranges of 50-2,000 ng/mL for salidroside and 20-200 ng/mL for p-tyrosol. The inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision were within ± 15%. The method has been successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study and the oral bioavailability was calculated.     

Sensitive sulphur-specific detection of omeprazole metabolites in rat urine by high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The use of high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICPMS) with sulphur-specific detection was investigated as a method for obtaining metabolite profiles for the drug omeprazole administered as a 1:1 mixture of (32)S- and (34)S-labelled material. Analysis based on the monitoring of the chromatographic eluent at either m/z 32 or 34 was not successful due to insufficient sensitivity caused by interferences from polyatomic ions. However, reaction of sulphur with oxygen in the hexapole collision cell, combined with monitoring at m/z 48 (for (32)S) or m/z 50 (for (34)S), provided a facile method for metabolite profiling. Detection of m/z 48 was superior in sensitivity to detection of m/z 50.     

超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱法测定人尿中9种邻苯二甲酸酯代谢物

建立了人尿中9种邻苯二甲酸酯（PAE）代谢物的超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱（UPLC-MS/MS）测定方法。2 mL尿液样本酶解2 h后,经强阴离子固相萃取净化处理;选用Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH Phenyl色谱柱（100 mm×2.1 mm,1.7 μ m）,以0.1%（体积分数）乙酸乙腈和0.1%（体积分数）乙酸水溶液为流动相进行梯度洗脱;在负离子电喷雾多反应监测模式（MRM）下测定9种PAE代谢物含量。8种PAE代谢物在0.39~200 μ g/L范围内、1种PAE代谢物在1.17~600 μ g/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.995。方法检出限为0.06~0.85 μ g/L,定量限为0.20~2.80 μ g/L。3个加标水平的加标回收率为84.1%~122%,精密度为4.5%~14.3%;日内精密度不高于9.3%,日间精密度不高于10.1%;基质效应和稳定性符合分析要求。应用该方法测定50份人尿液样本,邻苯二甲酸单环已酯（MCHP）和邻苯二甲酸单苄酯（MBZP）的检出率分别为0和44.0%,其余7种PAE代谢物的检出率为100%。该方法操作简单、定量准确、稳定性好,适用于人尿中9种PAE代谢物的定量分析。     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法定量分析尿液中色氨酸及其代谢产物

基于超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)建立定量分析色氨酸(Trp)及代谢产物3-OH-犬尿氨酸(3-OH-Kyn)、3-OH-邻氨基苯甲酸(3-OH-AA)、黄尿酸(XA)、犬尿氨酸(Kyn)、5-羟基吲哚乙酸(5-HIAA)、犬尿喹啉酸(KA)和5-羟色胺(5-HT)的方法,应用该方法分析其在尿样中的含...     

Sensitive method for the determination of baclofen in plasma by means of solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of baclofen in plasma is described. Baclofen and the internal standard, KM 08205, were isolated from plasma by solid-phase extraction using C18 material. After separation by reversed-phase liquid chromatography, the analytes were detected with tandem mass spectrometry. The extraction procedure was optimised regarding the solid-phase extraction material, the pH in the conditioning solution and the washing volume. The method was proven to be selective and sensitive with an absolute recovery of about 95%, a relative standard deviation below 5% and a limit of quantification of 10 nmol/1.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法快速同时测定土壤中草甘膦、草铵膦及其代谢物

建立了快速同时测定土壤中草甘膦(GLY)、草铵膦(GLUF)及其代谢物的高效液相色谱-串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)分析方法.分别对前处理和色谱-质谱条件进行优化,样品采用0.5 mol/L氨水作为溶剂振荡提取,离心,上清液过滤膜后,直接采用HPLC-MS/MS测定,电喷雾离子源(ESI-),多反应监测(MRM)模式...     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定黄瓜和苹果中氟啶虫酰胺及其代谢产物残留量

建立了黄瓜和苹果中氟啶虫酰胺及其3种代谢产物［N-(4-trifluoromethylnicotinoyl)glycine(TFNG)、4-tri-fluoromethylnicotinic acid(TFNA)和4-trifluoromethylnicotinamide(TFNA-AM)］同时测定的液相色谱-串联质谱分析方法。样品用磷酸盐缓冲液提取两次,调节pH值至1.5～2.0后,再用乙酸乙酯提取,液相色谱-串联质谱分析。采用Acquity BEH C18色谱柱分离,0.1%甲酸水-甲醇作为流动相进行梯度洗脱,电喷雾正离子(ESI+)模式电离,多反应监测(MRM)模式检测,外标法定量。氟啶虫酰胺、TFNG、TFNA和TFNA-AM的检出限分别为0.17、0.20、0.35和0.60 μg/kg。在黄瓜和苹果样品中添加5.0～2000 μg/kg水平的氟啶虫酰胺、TFNG、TFNA和TFNA-AM,其平均添加回收率在82.9%～104.1%范围内,批内分析相对标准偏差(RSD)在3.6%～6.9%之间。4种物质的峰面积与其浓度在0.50～200 μg/L范围内均呈良好的线性关系,线性回归系数均大于0.998。前处理步骤仅用有机溶剂6 mL。整个方法具有高灵敏度、准确、稳定的特点。     

Development of a method for simultaneous determination of eflucimibe and its three major metabolites in rat plasma by liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry: a preliminary study

A high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of eflucimibe, a powerful acyl-coenzyme A cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, and its main metabolites, in plasma. The ESI and MS/MS parameters were investigated and optimised for each of the four compounds in the positive ion mode. Plasma samples were deproteinised by precipitation with acetonitrile and directly analysed by HPLC/ESI-MS/MS in less than 4 min. Quantitation was performed in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode for highest sensitivity, selecting the protonated molecules [M+H](+) as precursor ions. The method was demonstrated to be specific and sensitive, and a linear response was observed within a 1-25 ng/mL concentration range. Correlation coefficients (r(2)) greater than 0.9960 were obtained by least-squares regression, and limits of detection down to 0.2 ng/mL were calculated. Therefore, this HPLC/ESI-MS/MS method appears to be an efficient tool, able to provide valuable information for a pharmacological purpose.