液相色谱-串联质谱法测定蜂产品中吡虫啉及其3种代谢物

建立了蜂蜜和蜂花粉中吡虫啉及其代谢物吡虫啉烯烃、吡虫啉脲、6-氯烟酸的液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)检测方法.在QuEChERS方法基础上,针对目标物化学性质和样品杂质情况,对提取溶液的pH值、提取次数、净化材料等参数进行了优化.最终以5％甲酸-乙腈溶液提取两次,无水MgSO4、NaCl盐析分层,提取液经增强型脂类去除材料(EMR)净化,以LC-MS/MS进行测定,基质外标法进行定量分析.结果表明,蜂蜜和蜂花粉中吡虫啉、吡虫啉烯烃、吡虫啉脲、6-氯烟酸的平均加标回收率为86.0％～111.5％, 相对标准偏差在1.7％～9.6％之间, 检出限分别为0.20, 3.50, 0.40和14.00 μg/kg,定量限分别为0.60, 11.64, 1.20和45.00 μg/kg.本方法分析速度快、灵敏度高、重现性好,适用于蜂蜜和蜂花粉中吡虫啉及其3种代谢物的快速测定.     

玉米粉中吡虫啉、三唑酮、乙草胺与异丙甲草胺的QuEChERS/高效液相色谱-串联质谱快速检测

建立了玉米粉中吡虫啉、三唑酮、乙草胺和异丙甲草胺4种常用农药的Qu ECh ERS/高效液相色谱-串联质谱残留分析方法。前处理采用Qu ECh ERS方法,以乙腈为提取剂,N-丙基乙二胺(PSA)和石墨化碳黑(GCB)为分散净化剂,并利用高效液相色谱-串联质谱在多反应离子监测模式(MRM)下进行检测,基底匹配工作曲线法定量。结果表明:4种农药在0.005~1.000 mg/L浓度范围内均具有良好的线性关系(r2≥0.998);在0.05~1.00 mg/kg加标水平下的平均回收率为74.9%~98.4%,相对标准偏差(n=5)为1.6%~5.3%;方法检出限(LOD)为0.001~0.26μg/kg;定量下限(LOQ)为0.004~0.867μg/kg。该方法分析速度快、灵敏度高、重现性好,适用于玉米粉中吡虫啉、三唑酮、乙草胺和异丙甲草胺4种农药残留的快速检测和确证。     

Development of a Multimatrix UHPLC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of Paracetamol and Its Metabolites in Animal Tissues

Paracetamol/acetaminophen (APAP) is one of the most popular pharmacologically active substances used as an analgesic and antipyretic agent. The metabolism of this drug occurs in the liver and leads to the formation of two main metabolites—glucuronic acid and sulfate derivate. Despite the wide use of paracetamol in veterinary medicine, a handful of analytical methods were published for the determination of paracetamol residues in animal tissues. In this paper, a multimatrix method has been developed for the determination of paracetamol and two metabolites—paracetamol sulfate (PS) and p-Acetamidophenyl β-D-glucuronide (PG). A validation procedure was conducted to verify method reliability and fit purpose as a tool for analyzing acetaminophen and metabolites in muscle, liver, lung, and kidney samples from different species of animals. Established validation parameters were in agreement with acceptable criteria laid by the European legislation. The initial significant matrix effect was successfully reduced by implementing an internal standard—4-Acetamidophenyl β-D-glucuronide-d3 (PG-d3, IS). The usefulness of the developed method was verified by analyzing samples from an experiment in which paracetamol was administrated to geese.     

LC-MS/MS法快速高效检测尿液中尼古丁及其9种代谢物

以氘代尼古丁、氘代可的宁、3-OH-氘代可的宁、氘代尼古丁葡萄糖醛酸复合物、氘代可的宁葡萄糖醛酸复合物、3-OH-氘代可的宁葡萄糖醛酸复合物作内标, 在LC-MS/MS的大气压化学电离(APCI)离子化模式下, 建立了快速检测吸烟者尿液中尼古丁及其9种代谢物的方法, 并对19个实际样品进行了测试和判别分析(DA). 实验前处理简单, 色谱运行时间仅为3.8 min. 结果表明, 尼古丁及其代谢物的精密度在0.5%～5.5%之间, 回收率在94%～109%之间, 线性相关系数均大于0.995. DA分析充分区别开了不同量的吸烟者, 进一步的相关性分析表明吸烟者24 h尿液中的尼古丁及其9种代谢物含量与卷烟抽吸量的分析因子之间均有较强正相关性.     

尸体脏器中敌百虫及其主要代谢物DDVP和水合氯醛的毛细柱GC/MS测定

本文应用Finnigan Mat 1020 GC/MS仪,以SE-54熔融硅毛细柱作分离柱,建立了尸体脏器中敌百虫及其主要代谢物DDVP和水合氯醛的分析方法。样品用CH_2Cl_2提取。敌百虫和DDVP的检测限均是15 ng,方法已成功用于刑事案件鉴定。     

改良的QuEChERS与HPLC-HESI/MS/MS同时测定中华鳖组织中氯硝柳胺和酰胺醇类药物及其代谢物的残留量

建立了中华鳖(Trionyx sinensis)组织(血浆、肌肉、裙边、肝脏和肾脏)中氯硝柳胺、氯霉素、甲砜霉素、氟苯尼考和氟苯尼考胺同时测定的高效液相色谱-加热电喷雾电离源串联质谱法(HPLC-HESI/MS/MS)。样品经改进的QuEChERS方法提取净化,以氨化乙腈为提取剂,十八烷基硅烷键合硅胶(C18)粉为净化剂,甲醇-水为流动相,流速为0.3 mL/min,以Waters Symmetry~ C_(18)(2.1 mm×100 mm,3.5μm)为色谱分离柱,采用正负离子分段扫描和多反应监测模式(MRM)检测。氯霉素、甲砜霉素、氟苯尼考和氟苯尼考胺采用内标标准曲线法定量,氯硝柳胺采用基质匹配标准曲线外标法定量。结果表明,在0.3~100μg/L范围内,5种待测物均呈良好的线性关系,相关系数(r2)均不小于0.998 7。在1~20μg/kg加标水平下,中华鳖空白血浆、肌肉、裙边、肝脏和肾脏的加标回收率为77.9%~105.3%(n=6),相对标准偏差为2.7%~10.5%(n=6),方法的检出限分别为0.5、0.1、0.5、0.5、0.5μg/kg,定量下限分别为1.0、0.3、1.0、1.0、1.0μg/kg。该方法操作简便、准确、灵敏度高,适用于中华鳖组织中氯硝柳胺、氯霉素、甲砜霉素、氟苯尼考和氟苯尼考胺残留量的同时测定。     

同位素稀释高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定水产品中甲苯咪唑及其代谢物的残留量

建立了同时分析水产品中甲苯咪唑及其代谢物羟基甲苯咪唑和氮基甲苯咪唑的同位素稀释高效液相色谱串联质谱法.向样品中添加磷酸二氢钠溶液后用乙酸乙酯提取,提取液用氮气吹干后经2 mL甲醇-0.1%甲酸溶液(体积比1:1)溶解,正己烷去脂.以Hypersil GOLD为色谱分离柱,甲醇-0.1%甲酸溶液为流动相,流速为0.2 m...     

Determination of acidic herbicides in fruits and vegetables using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

The use of quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe method followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was found to be the best combination for multiresidue determination of eight acidic herbicides in fruits and vegetables in terms of high recovery, short time of analysis, low cost and safety. Recent few articles were published for determination of different classes of acidic herbicides in single multiresidue method. In the present study, mass spectrophotometric conditions were individually optimised for eight acidic herbicides, namely 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, bentazone, bromoxynil, fluazifop, fluroxypyr, imazethapyr, ioxynil and triclopyr to achieve maximum sensitivity and selectivity in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode allowing simultaneous identification and quantification in a single run. Identity confirmation and quantitation were attained by using negative electrospray ionisation LC-MS/MS (ESI?) in MRM mode. Due to LC-MS/MS signal suppression, determination of pesticide residues was based on matrix-matched standard calculations. Most of the evaluated compounds showed a recovery ranging from 81% to 113% with relative standard deviations less than 16 % indicating acceptable precision. The precision and accuracy of the method were determined from recovery experiments on six replicates of spiked blank strawberry and green beans samples at 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg. The developed assay was linear over concentration range of 0.01–0.5 µg/mL, with correlation coefficient greater than 0.99 at the limit of quantitation 0.01 µg/mL. The proposed assay was successfully applied for the analysis of the studied acidic herbicides residues in two proficiency test samples. This wide scope assay protocol is applicable for monitoring acidic herbicides residues in fruits and vegetables by national regulatory authorities and accredited labs in order to help ensuring the safety of such widely used food products.     

液相色谱串联质谱法直接测定地下水中痕量呋喃丹、涕灭威及其代谢物

建立了直接进样液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)测定地下水中呋喃丹、涕灭威及其代谢物涕灭威亚砜和涕灭威砜的分析方法。对质谱条件和液相色谱条件进行了优化,以甲醇-水为流动相,多反应监测模式(MRM)对目标物进行定性定量分析。结果表明:目标物在0.05～100μg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数(r2)为0.996 0～0.999 3;方法检出限为0.01～0.05μg/L;以3个水平进行样品加标实验,目标化合物的回收率为90%～106%,相对标准偏差(RSD,n=8)为2.7%～6.5%。该方法定性定量准确,灵敏度高,避免了复杂的样品前处理过程,可用于地下水中痕量氨基甲酸酯农药的测定。     

Simultaneous Determination of Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride and Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate in Rabbit Ocular Tissues and Plasma by LC-MS/MS: Application for Pharmacokinetics Studies

Treatment of ocular infection involves pharmacotherapy with steroids and antibiotic drops, such as moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MFH) and dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP). To characterize the pharmacokinetics of these two compounds, we performed and validated a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to quantify them in rabbit ocular tissues and plasma. We used protein precipitation to extract the compounds. The analyte and internal standard (IS) were separated using a Shim-pack Scepter C₁₈ column. The mobile phase was composed of 0.1% formic acid water (A) and methanol (B). MFH and DSP were detected using positive ion electrostatic ionization (ESI) in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). The calibration curves for both compounds showed good linearity over concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 200 ng/mL in rabbit ocular tissues and plasma. The lower limit of quantification for both MFH and DSP was 0.5 ng/mL. We validated this method for selectivity, linearity (r2 > 0.99), precision, accuracy, matrix effects, and stability. Thus, we used this method to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics of MFH and DSP in rabbit ocular tissues and plasma after single doses. Our results indicate that this method can be used for the simultaneous analysis of moxifloxacin hydrochloride and dexamethasone sodium phosphate in clinical samples.     

Establishment of an LC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of 45 Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables from Fujian,China

Pesticide residues in food have become an important factor seriously threatening human health. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables commonly found in Fujian, China, with the aim of constructing a simple and rapid method for pesticide residue monitoring. We collected 5607 samples from local markets and analyzed them for the presence of 45 pesticide residues. A fast, easy, inexpensive, effective, robust, and safe (QuEChERS) multi-residue extraction method followed by liquid chromatography equipped with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was successfully established. This 12-min-long analytical method detects and quantifies pesticide residues with acceptable validation performance parameters in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, linearity, the limit of quantification, accuracy, and precision. The linear range of the calibration curves ranged from 5 to 200 mg/L, the limits of detection for all pesticides ranged from 0.02 to 1.90 μg/kg, and the limits of quantification for the pesticides were 10 μg/kg. The recovery rates for the three levels of fortification ranged from 72.0% to 118.0%, with precision values (expressed as RSD%) less than 20% for all of the investigated analytes. The results showed that 726 (12.95%) samples were contaminated with pesticide residues, 94 (1.68%) samples exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL) of the national standard (GB 2763-2021, China), 632 (11.23%) samples were contaminated with residues below the MRL, and 4881 (87.05%) samples were pesticide residue-free. In addition, the highest number of multiple pesticide residues was observed in bananas and peppers, which were contaminated with acetamiprid, imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin, and thiacloprid.     

Determination of the Peptide AWRK6 in Rat Plasma by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and Its Application to Pharmacokinetics

AWRK6 was a synthesized peptide developed based on the natural occurring peptide dybowskin-2CDYa, which was discovered in frog skin in our previous study. Here, a quantitative determination method for AWRK6 analysis in rat plasma by using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was established and validated following U.S. FDA guidelines. A combination of plasma precipitation and liquid–liquid extraction was applied for the extraction. For pharmacokinetics study, the rats were administrated with AWRK6 via intraperitoneal and intravenous injection. The prepared plasma samples were separated on an ODS column and analyzed by tandem MS using precursor-to-product ion pairs of m/z: 533.4→84.2 for AWRK6 and m/z: 401.9→101.1 for internal standard Polymyxin B sulfate in multiple reaction monitoring mode. AWRK6 concentrations in rat plasma peaked at about 1.2 h after intraperitoneal injections at 2.35, 4.7 and 9.4 mg/kg bodyweight. The terminal half-life was around 2.8 h. The absolute bioavailability of AWRK6 was 50% after 3 doses via injection, and the apparent volume of distribution was 4.884 ± 1.736 L. The obtained determination method and pharmacokinetics profiles of AWRK6 provides a basis for further development, and forms a benchmark reference for peptide quantification.     

Derivatization of chiral carboxylic acids with (S)‐anabasine for increasing detectability and enantiomeric separation in LC/ESI‐MS/MS

A simple and practical derivatization procedure for increasing the detectability and enantiomeric separation of chiral carboxylic acids in LC/ESI‐MS/MS has been developed. (S)‐Anabasine (ANA) was used as the derivatization reagent and rapidly reacted with carboxylic acids [3‐hydroxypalmitic acid (3‐OH‐PA), 2‐(β‐carboxyethyl)‐6‐hydroxy‐2,7,8‐trimethylchroman (γ‐CEHC), and etodolac] in the presence of 4‐(4,6‐dimethoxy‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)‐4‐methylmorpholium chloride. The resulting ANA‐derivatives were highly responsive in ESI‐MS operating in the positive‐ion mode and gave characteristic product ions during MS/MS, which enabled sensitive detection using selected reaction monitoring; the detection responses of the ANA‐derivatives were increased by 20–160‐fold over those of the intact carboxylic acids and the limits of detection were in the low femtomole range (1.8–11 fmol on the column). The ANA‐derivatization was also effective for the enatiomeric separation of the chiral carboxylic acids; the resolution was 1.92, 1.75, and 2.03 for 3‐OH‐PA, γ‐CHEC, and etodolac, respectively. The derivatization procedure was successfully applied to a biological sample analysis; the derivatization followed by LC/ESI‐MS/MS enabled the separation and detection of trace amounts of 3‐OH‐PA in neonatal dried blood spot and γ‐CEHC in human saliva with a simple pretreatment and small sample volume.     

A Rapid and Simple UHPLC-MS/MS Method for Quantification of Plasma Globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3)

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by α-galactosidase A gene (GLA) mutations, resulting in loss of activity of the lysosomal hydrolase, α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). As a result, the main glycosphingolipid substrates, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3), accumulate in plasma, urine, and tissues. Here, we propose a simple, fast, and sensitive method for plasma quantification of lyso-Gb3, the most promising secondary screening target for FD. Assisted protein precipitation with methanol using Phree cartridges was performed as sample pre-treatment and plasma concentrations were measured using UHPLC-MS/MS operating in MRM positive electrospray ionization. Method validation provided excellent results for the whole calibration range (0.25–100 ng/mL). Intra-assay and inter-assay accuracy and precision (CV%) were calculated as <10%. The method was successfully applied to 55 plasma samples obtained from 34 patients with FD, 5 individuals carrying non-relevant polymorphisms of the GLA gene, and 16 healthy controls. Plasma lyso-Gb3 concentrations were larger in both male and female FD groups compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Normal levels of plasma lyso-Gb3 were observed for patients carrying non-relevant mutations of the GLA gene compared to the control group (p = 0.141). Dropping the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) to 0.25 ng/mL allowed us to set the optimal plasma lyso-Gb3 cut-off value between FD patients and healthy controls at 0.6 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 97.1%, specificity of 100%, and accuracy of 0.998 expressed by the area under the ROC curve (C.I. 0.992 to 1.000, p-value < 0.001). Based on the results obtained, this method can be a reliable tool for early phenotypic assignment, assessing diagnoses in patients with borderline GalA activity, and confirming non-relevant mutations of the GLA gene.     

Validation of QuEChERS-based UPLC-MS/MS method for determination of quinoid niclosamide (LDS) residue in water,soil and rice samples

A sensitive, rapid and easy analytical method was validated for the determination of quinoid niclosamide (LDS) molluscicide in water, rice and soil using a QuEChERS extraction procedure and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) detection. The LDS was extracted by using acetonitrile and then cleaned up by using dispersive solid-phase extraction with florisil and C18 sorbents. The determination of the target compound was achieved in less than 3 min using an electrospray ionisation source in negative mode. The overall average recoveries for this method in water, rice and soil matrix at three fortified levels ranged from 82.54 to 99.9%, with relative standard deviations in the range of 1.51 to 4.86% (n = 5). The calculated limits of detection were lower than 0.1 µg kg^?1 and quantification was 5 µg kg^?1; these values were much lower than the maximum residue levels established by the Australian standard (0.01 mg kg^?1). The results of the method validation confirmed that this proposed method is convenient and reliable for the determination of LDS molluscicide in water, rice and soil samples.     

复杂基质食品中7种添加剂的气相色谱/质谱检测方法

建立了一种适用于复杂基质的食品中对羟基苯甲酸酯类（甲酯、乙酯、丙酯、丁酯）、丁基羟基茴香醚、2,6-二叔丁基对甲酚和特丁基对苯二酚等7种常见添加剂的简便快速的气相色谱-质谱（GC／MS）联用检测方法。样品通过乙腈提取,盐析后分层,上清液用乙酸乙酯稀释,以无水硫酸钠脱水,最后通过Gc／MS的选择离子监视模式检测。对于5.0g样品的7种添加剂的检出限范围为0.01-0.5mg／kg,3个水平添加的回收率范围为94.4％-105.1％;同一添加水平的回收率的相对标准偏差范围3.9％-9.9％。方法同时结合了筛选和确证两个过程,灵敏度理想,可靠性强,符合分析要求。     

Development,Validation, and Application of the LC-MS/MS Method for Determination of 4-Acetamidobenzoic Acid in Pharmacokinetic Pilot Studies in Pigs

Each drug has pharmacokinetics that must be defined for the substance to be used in humans and animals. Currently, one of the basic analytical tools for pharmacokinetics studies is high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. For this analytical method to be fully reliable, it must be properly validated. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop and validate a novel analytical method for 4-acetamidobenzoic acid, a component of the antiviral and immunostimulatory drug Inosine Pranobex, and to apply the method in the first pharmacokinetics study of 4-acetamidobenzoic acid in pigs after oral administration. Inosine Pranobex was administered under farm conditions to pigs via drinking water 2 h after morning feeding at doses of 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg. For sample preparation, we used liquid–liquid extraction with only one step—protein precipitation with 1 mL of acetonitrile. As an internal standard, we used deuterium labeled 4-acetamidobenzoic acid. The results indicate that the described method is replicable, linear (r² ≥ 0.99), precise (2.11% to 13.81%), accurate (89% to 98.57%), selective, and sensitive (limit of quantitation = 10 ng/mL). As sample preparation requires only one step, the method is simple, effective, cheap, and rapid. The results of the pilot pharmacokinetics study indicate that the compound is quickly eliminated (elimination half-life from 0.85 to 1.42 h) and rapidly absorbed (absorption half-life from 0.36 to 2.57 h), and that its absorption increases exponentially as the dose is increased.     

An Efficient UPLC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone in Rat Plasma and Its Application to a Toxicokinetic Study

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a powerful antioxidant coenzyme existing in diet, benefiting growth, development, cognition function, and the repair of damaged organs. However, a method for detecting PQQ in vivo was rarely described, limiting the research on the bioanalysis and metabolic properties of PQQ. In this study, a novel, simple, and efficient ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to quantify the concentration of PQQ in rat plasma. Detection through mass spectrometry was operated by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in negative electrospray ionization mode with ion transitions m/z 328.99→197.05 for PQQ and m/z 280.04→195.04 for the internal standard. The calibration curves were linear up to 10,000 ng/mL, with a lower limit of quantitation of 10 ng/mL. Inter-run and intra-run precision ranged from 1.79% to 10.73% and accuracy ranged from −7.73% to 7.30%. The method was successfully applied to a toxicokinetic study in Sprague–Dawley rats after the oral administration of PQQ disodium salt at doses of 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 1000 mg/kg. The toxicokinetic parameters were subsequently analyzed, which may provide valuable references for the toxicokinetic properties and safety evaluation of PQQ.     

A highly sensitive and efficient UPLC‐MS/MS assay for rapid analysis of tedizolid (a novel oxazolidinone antibiotic) in plasma sample

Tedizolid (TDZ) is a novel oxazolidinone class antibiotic, indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections in adults. In this study a highly sensitive UPLC‐MS/MS assay was developed and validated for the determination of TDZ in rat plasma using rivaroxaban as an internal standard (IS). Both TDZ and IS were separated on an Acquity UPLC BEH? C₁₈ column using an isocratic mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile–20 mm ammonium acetate (85:15, v/v), eluted at 0.3 mL/min flow rate. The plasma sample was processed by liquid liquid extraction technique using ethyl acetate as an extracting agent. The analyte and IS were detected in positive mode using electrospray ionization source. The precursor to product ion transitions at m/z 371.09 > 343.10 for TDZ and m/z 435.97 > 144.94 for IS were used for the quantification in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 0.74–1500 ng/mL and the lower limit of quantification was 0.74 ng/mL only. The developed assay was validated following standard guidelines for bioanalytical method validation (US Food and Drug Administration) and all the validation results were within the acceptable limits. The developed assay was successfully applied into a pharmacokinetic study in rats. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of ropivacaine and its major metabolites in human urine samples utilizing microextraction in a packed syringe automated with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MEPS-LC-MS/MS)

The determination of ropivacaine and its major metabolites in urine was performed using microextraction in a packed syringe as an on-line sample preparation method with LC and MS/MS. The sampling sorbent utilized was polystyrene polymer. [2H7]ropivacaine was used as the internal standard. The lower LOQ was 5.0 nmol/L. The calibration curves were obtained within the concentration range 5-2000 nmol/ L in urine. The regression correlation coefficients for urine samples were > or = 0.999 for all runs. The between-batch accuracy and precision values were determined from six replicates of quality control (QC) samples at three different concentrations in human urine. The mean accuracy values for the QC samples, reported as the percentage difference from the nominal value, were in the range of 99-115%. The precisions, given as the RSDs, were in the range 1.9-11%. The present method is miniaturized and fully automated and can be used for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.