Determination of clomipramine and its hydroxylated and demethylated metabolites in plasma and urine by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A procedure for the determination of clomipramine and its 8-hydroxy, demethyl, 8-hydroxydemethyl and didemethyl metabolites in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection is described. A 1-ml plasma or urine sample is made alkaline with a carbonate buffer (pH 9.8) and extracted with 20% ethyl acetate in n-heptane. After back-extraction into an acid phosphate buffer (pH 2.4), an aliquot is injected into a 5-microns ion-paired reversed-phase column and eluted with a mobile phase containing a phosphate buffer with tetramethylammonium chloride-acetonitrile (57:43). The detection is coulometric with a first cell at +0.40 V, a second at +0.73 V and a guard cell set at 0.75 V for oxidation of the mobile phase. The method provides recoveries in the general range of 80-110% and a day-to-day precision of 3.7-8.8%, depending on the compound. The minimum quantifiable level for all compounds was 0.2 ng/ml with a 20-microliters injection. Steady-state plasma concentration data and urinary levels are reported for 24 depressed patients receiving daily either 75-150 mg orally or 50-75 mg by infusion.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of bile acids in hamster bile

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure has been developed for the determination of pentamidine concentrations in serum samples. A microbore, reversed-phase column was used with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and water with sodium heptanesulfonate and triethylamine as modifiers. Pentamidine could be extracted from serum only by the addition of an ion-pairing agent, di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid, to the chloroform used for extraction. The method can be used to reliably detect levels as low as 5 ng/ml. The pentamidine concentration in the serum of eleven patients 24 h after their tenth daily dose of pentamidine averaged 60 +/- 34 ng/ml.     

Determination of 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-acetamidoxime hydrochloride (PE-257) in plasma using electron-capture gas chromatography

A gas chromatographic method has been developed that permits the accurate and specific determination of a new psychotropic agent, PF-257, in plasma. PF-257 is extracted with ethyl acetate from alkaline plasma and, after a clean-up procedure, derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride to form 3-[(5-n-heptafluoropropyl-1,2, 4-oxadiazol-3-yl)methyl]-1,2-benzisoxazole (HOMB). The HOMB is assayed on a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron-capture detector. Accurate determinations of PF-257 are possible in the concentration range from 1-40 ng/ml with a relative standard deviation of 6.8%. The minimum detectable concentration in plasma is 0.1 ng/ml. Plasma levels of PF-257 in rats receiving intravenous or oral dosing (10 mg/kg) were determined.     

Quantitative gas chromatographic analysis of flunitrazepam in human serum with electron-capture detection.

A rapid method for the determination of flunitrazepam and desmethylfflunitrazepam in human serum in the range 10-300 ng/ml is described. Both drugs are isolated from biological material by means of a single extraction, part of the organic phase is evaporated to dryness and the residue is dissolved in a small volume of benzene. Without further purification, the substance is determined gas chromatographically with an electron-capture detector configuration of 63Ni-type. The method permits the quantitative determination of at least 25-300 ng/ml with an overall recovery of flunitrazepam of 99.7 +/- 4.9% and of desmethylflunitrazepam of 98.6 +/- 7.8% from serum. All calculations were carried out by a data system that was programmed for this purpose. The limit of detection for flunitrazepam is of the order of 1 ng/ml in serum. The method is sufficiently sensitive and specific for therapy control purposes. The time needed for an analysis is less than 1 h.     

Specific and sensitive determination of medroxyprogesterone acetate in human serum by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The mass fragmentographic determination of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in serum, using as internal standard medroxyprogesterone propionate (MPP) synthesized from MPA, is described. After addition of MPP, the sera are extracted on Sep-Pak C18 cartridges and MPA and MPP are detected as their respective 3-enol trifluoroacyl esters. Serum samples from 84 patients with breast cancer, daily receiving MPA orally, were determined showing a large variation in MPA concentrations (4-349 ng/ml). Our proposed gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method, which can be considered as a reference, was compared with a radioimmunoassay (RIA) method showing a correlation coefficient of 0.73 (n = 69; p much less than 0.001). The assay was also used to determine sequential serum levels of patients receiving a single oral dose of MPA. With only minor adjustments, the GC-MS method allows the determination of serum concentrations of related steroids such as megestrol acetate and cyproterone acetate.     

Photodegradation and flow-injection determination of simetryn herbicide by luminol chemiluminescence detection

A novel and simple flow injection chemiluminescence method is reported for the determination of simetryn, a common herbicide. The method is based on the direct oxidation of luminol by the photoproducts of the simetryn in alkaline medium in the absence of catalyst/oxidant. The linear concentration range was 0.01 - 2 microg mL(-1) simetryn with a correlation coefficient (r(2)) of 0.9997 and relative standard deviations (RSD; n = 4) in the range of 0.9 - 2.3%. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) was 7.5 ng mL(-1) with a sample throughput of 100 h(-1). The proposed method has been applied to determine simetryn in natural waters using Sep-Pak C(18) cartridges for solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure. The recoveries were in the range of 97 +/- 1 to 104 +/- 2%. The mechanism of chemiluminescence reaction has also been discussed briefly.     

Determination of lithium in human serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

An efficient method was developed for the determination of nanogram levels of lithium in biological samples. Serum samples from human subjects from southeastern Spain, treated or not treated with lithium carbonate, were analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The samples were previously treated with a matrix modifier consisting of 0.1% Triton X-100 and injected through a graphite tube with L'vov platform. The Li concentrations measured by the procedure described for the 3 certified reference samples used were not significantly different (p > 0.05) than certified levels. Sample recoveries and variability during several days, with coefficients of variation from 4.00 to 14.8%, demonstrated the reliability and accuracy of this technique. Mean Li concentration determined in the serum of individuals with psychiatric disorders treated with Li (n = 117, 5.077 +/- 1.795 microg Li/mL) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in individuals not treated with Li (n = 24, 1.902 +/- 2.054 ng Li/mL).     

Determination of free and conjugated cis-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanol in plasma and urine

A gas chromatographic procedure was developed to determine free and conjugated cis-3,3,5-trimethylcylcohexanol in plasma and urine. The sample is extracted with dichloromethane when free cis-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanol is determined, or with hexane after enzymatic hydrolysis, when conjugated cis-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanol is determined. An aliquot of the organic extract is injected into a stainless-steel column (packed with Carbowax 20M, 15% on Chromosorb W AW 100-120 mesh) and detected with a flame ionization detector. Extraction recovery from plasma and urine was almost 100% and the limit of quantification was fixed at 100 ng/ml plasma or urine. The procedure was evaluated in a pharmacokinetic study of cyclandelate and its metabolite cis-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanol.     

Quantitative determination of trace amounts of Al-citrate by anion-exchange FPLC-ETAAS

An anion-exchange fast protein liquid chromatographic-electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric procedure (FPLC-ETAAS) was developed for determination of trace amounts of negatively charged Al-citrate in the pH range 3.5-8.0. Aqueous-4 mol dm(-3) NH(4)NO(3) linear gradient elution at a flow rate of 1 cm(3) min(-1) was applied for 10 min to separate Al-citrate on a FPLC Mono Q HR 5/5 column. The separated aluminium species were determined 'off line' by ETAAS in 0.5 cm(3) fractions. After separation the column was regenerated for 5 min with 4 mol dm(-3) NH(4)NO(3) and equilibrated with water. All reagents used in the separation procedure were cleaned with a silica based LiChrosorb RP-18 HPLC column to remove traces of aluminium. The main advantage of NH(4)NO(3) as eluent lies in its ability to decompose quantitatively in the graphite tube during the ashing step, which enables reproducible analysis of aluminium in the separated fractions. Using the procedure developed reproducible (RSD+/-2.0%) and quantitative determination of negatively charged Al-citrate at a retention time of 4.5 min was obtained. The LOD was found to be 2.0 ng cm(-3) of Al-citrate. The technique was successfully applied for the determination of Al-citrate in human serum. Spiked samples (50-150 ng Al(3+) cm(-3)) were microultrafiltered through a membrane filter (cut-off 30 000 Da) to separate aluminium bound to transferrin from low molecular weight aluminium complexes. It was found that 15-19% of aluminium in spiked samples from healthy volunteers passed through the membrane. By applying FPLC separation it was proved that all the aluminium in the filtrate corresponded to Al-citrate. The analytical technique developed enabled quantitative and reproducible determination (RSD+/-3.0%) of Al-citrate in spiked human serum at levels which could be found in patients undergoing long term haemodialysis.     

Simultaneous determination of clebopride and a major metabolite N-desbenzylclebopride in plasma by capillary gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A procedure for the simultaneous assay of clebopride and its major metabolite N-desbenzylclebopride in plasma has been developed. The method utilizes capillary gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring of characteristic ions. Employing 2-ethoxy analogues as internal standards, the benzamides were extracted from basified plasma using dichloromethane. Subsequent reaction with heptafluorobutyric anhydride produced volatile mono- and diheptafluorobutyryl derivatives of clebopride and N-desbenzylclebopride, respectively. The methane negative-ion mass spectra of these derivatives exhibited intense high-mass ions ideal for specific quantitation of low levels in biological fluids. Using this procedure the recovery of the drug and metabolite from human plasma was found to be 84.4 +/- 1.5% (n = 3) and 77.4 +/- 4.7% (n = 3), respectively, at 0.5 ng/ml. Measurement of both compounds down to 0.10 ng/ml with a coefficient of variation of less than 10.5% is described. Plasma levels are reported in four volunteers up to 24 h following oral administration of 1 mg of clebopride malate salt.     

The gas chromatographic determination of selenium(IV) and total selenium in natural waters with 1,2-diamino-3,5-dibromobenzene

The total selenium and selenium(IV) contents in sea water and river water can be determined directly by a gas chromatographic method with l,2-diamino-3,5-dibromobenzene without preconcentration. The reagent reacts only with selenium(IV) to form a 4,6-dibromopiazselenol; other oxidation states of selenium must therefore be converted to the tetravalent state for total selenium determinations. The piazselenol formed can be extracted quantitatively into 1 ml of toluene from 500 ml of sample water. A method is proposed for the determination of selenium(IV) and total selenium in natural waters at levels as low as 2 ng l^-1. Coastal sea water and river water in Japan contain 8–30 ng of Se(IV) and 20–50 ng of total Se per liter.     

Validated, non-destructive and environmentally friendly determination of cocaine in euro bank notes

A non-destructive, fast and environmentally friendly procedure has been developed for cocaine determination in euro bank notes. Cocaine was extracted with 15 ml methanol by vortex agitation during 5 min. The extract was evaporated and reconstituted in 0.5 ml methanol. GC-MS-MS analysis was performed using as precursor ion m/z 182.2, with an excitation energy voltage of 1.60 eV, being the product ions measured m/z 150.2 and 82.0. A limit of detection of 0.15 ng per note and a repeatability of 6%, established from the relative standard deviation, of a 1 ng ml(-1) level, were achieved. Recoveries of 101+/-2 and 98+/-3% were obtained for samples spiked with 100 and 10 microg respectively. Results show that all the euro bank notes measured (16 samples) were contaminated with cocaine in the range between 1.25 and 889 microg. Two different contamination levels, high level (150-889 microg) and low one (1.25-77 microg) were found and it could be related with the direct or indirect contact with the drug.     

Methods for determination of hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorophenol in soil samples

The efficiency of methods for the determination of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in soil samples was evaluated. An on-line method was applied for HCB determination. Soil samples were transferred to chromatographic columns prepacked with alumina. The HCB elution was processed with n-hexane. The PCP was extracted from soil samples with n-hexane-acetone in an ultrasonic bath. After re-extraction with K(2)CO(3) solution PCP was acetylated with acetic anhydride. The pentachlorophenyl acetate derivative was then extracted with n-hexane. The HCB and PCP derivative were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Mean recoveries obtained from soil samples fortified at levels of 0.5; 4 and 20 ng g(-1), ranged from 91 to 100% for HCB, and for PCP, at levels of 10; 40 and 200 ng g(-1), ranged from 88 to 101%. These results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed methods.     

亚临界水萃取及气相色谱-串联质谱法检测红茶中多种农药残留

建立了亚临界水萃取及气相色谱-串联质谱(GC-MS/MS)检测红茶中21种有机氯和拟除虫菊酯农药残留的方法。在萃取压力为5 MPa条件下,样品经150 ℃的亚临界水提取15 min后,将目标物转移至丙酮-正己烷(1:1, v/v)中,经ENVI-Carb固相萃取净化小柱净化,DB-5毛细管气相色谱柱分离,在多反应监测(MRM)模式下进行MS/MS检测,基质匹配溶液内标法定量。各目标物在5.0～320.0 μg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.99,其定量限(信噪比(S/N)＞10)为50 ng/g,检出限(S/N＞3)为10 ng/g。茶叶基质中添加50、100和200 ng/g的标准品时,21种农药的回收率为70.18%～119.98%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为5.01%～11.76%。该方法的灵敏度、准确度和精密度均符合农药残留测定的技术要求,适用于红茶中有机氯和拟除虫菊酯农药残留的检测。     

Determination of (E)-2,3-dichloro-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-furanylmethanone-O-[2-(diethylamino) ethyl]oxime methanesulphonate (ANP-4364) in plasma using gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

A gas chromatographic method has been developed that permits the accurate and specific determination of the antianginal agent ANP-4364 in plasma. ANP-4364 is extracted with n-hexane containing ethyl chloroformate and, after a clean-up procedure, derivatized to the trichloroethyl carbamate, which is assayed on a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron-capture detector. Accurate determinations are possible over a concentration range from 1 to 50 ng/ml of ANP-4364 in plasma with a relative standard deviation of 7.5%. The minimum detectable concentration is 0.5 ng/ml. Plasma levels of ANP-4364 in dogs receiving oral (10 mg/kg) or intravenous (0.1 mg/kg) dosing have been determined.     

Use of a novel medium, the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-trimethylsilylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, for liquid-liquid extraction of lead in water and its determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-trimethylsilylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, abbreviated as [C4tmsim][PF6], was developed as a novel medium for liquid-liquid extraction of lead(II) in water, in which dithizone was used as a metal chelator to form a neutral lead-dithizone complex. Under optimal conditions, the complex was extracted into the [C4tmsim][PF6] phase from aqueous solution and back-extracted with nitric acid solution into the aqueous phase that was used directly for the subsequent determination of Pb. The system using the ionic liquid demonstrated good extraction performance; the extraction and back-extraction efficiencies were 99.8 and 99.7%, respectively, for Pb(II) at 20 microg/L. The above procedure, including the extraction and back-extraction, was used to enrich trace levels of Pb(ll) in a relatively large volume of water samples (1000 mL water), and an enrichment factor of 400 was obtained. The enrichment coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was successfully applied to the determination of Pb in water. The calibration graph was linear at levels near the detection limits up to > or = 100 ng/L Pb(II). The limits of quantitation and detection for lead in real water samples were 2.5 and 1.0 ng/L, respectively. Lead recoveries of 96.2-103.8% from spiked samples demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method.     

Determination of plasma amitriptyline by electron-capture gas chromatography after oxidation to anthraquinone.

A selective procedure is described for the determination of amitriptyline in plasma. The method involves extraction, separation of amitriptyline from its metabolites and subsequent oxidation by ceric sulphate in 5.4 M sulphuric acid. The oxidation product, anthraquinone, is determined by means of electron-capture gas chromatography. The metabolites were separated by a column chromatographic extraction technique. The choice of oxidation reagent, optimum conditions for the oxidation, and the electron-capture properties of anthraquinone are discussed. The method can be used to determine down to 2 ng of amitriptyline in a plasma sample; the relative standard deviation at the 50-ng level was 4.0% (n = 8). The levels of amitriptyline found in a series of plasma samples are compared with those obtained by gas chromatography with use of nitrogen-specific detection; the two techniques gave coincident results.     

Solvent extraction-spectrophotometric determination of phosphate with molybdate and malachite green in river water and sea-water

Molybdophosphate, formed between orthophosphate and molybdate in sulphuric acid solution, is extracted into a mixture of toluene and 4-methylpentan-2-one (1:3 v v ) with Malachite Green as counter-ion. A single extraction with equal phase volumes gives an apparent molar absorptivity for phosphate of 2.3 x 10(5) l.mole(-1).cm(-1) at 630 nm; the absorbance of the reagent blank is 0.03. With an organic to aqueous phase-volume ratio of 1:10, the molar absorptivity is 2.5 x 10(5) l.mole(-1).cm(-1) and the absorbance of the reagent blank 0.08. By the proposed method, ng ml levels of phosphorus can be determined, and the detection limit is about 0.1 ng ml . The standard deviation and relative standard deviation for the determination of phosphorus in tap water (4.3 ng ml ) are 0.05 ng ml and 1.1%, respectively. The method can also be applied to the determination of phosphorus in river water and sea-water.     

A modified method for the determination of methylmercury by gas chromatography

A simple modification of the West?? extraction procedure for methylmercury and its determination by gas chromatography (GC) is presented. The cysteine clean-up step has been modified, with use of cysteine-impregnated paper instead of cysteine solution. Methylmercury bromide is extracted from the sample into toluene and is selectively adsorbed on the cysteine paper. Interfering compounds are washed from the paper with toluene. The isolated methylmercury is set free with sulphuric acid containing bromide, extracted into benzene and determined by GC. The modification of the extraction procedure results in good recovery and reproducibility for various biological and environmental samples, good sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.1 ng/g, avoidance of difficulties arising from emulsion formation, cleaner chromatograms, and faster analysis. It is particularly suitable for determination of low levels of MeHg.     

固相萃取-气相色谱-质谱法测定利多卡因代谢物单乙基甘氨酰二甲苯胺的血药浓度

建立了固相萃取-气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)测定利多卡因代谢物单乙基甘氨酰二甲苯胺(MEGX)血药浓度的方法。血清中的MEGX采用固相萃取小柱萃取、GC-MS测定。色谱条件为：HP-5MS毛细管柱(15 m×0.25 mm×0.1 μm),初始柱温100 ℃,保持1 min后以40 ℃/min速率升温至200 ℃,保持0.5 min;进样口温度250 ℃;分流进样,分流比1∶1,进样量2 μL;载气为氦气,流量为1.0 mL/min。质谱条件为:离子源温度230 ℃,电子轰击电离,电子能量70 eV,选择离子检测（m/z 58(MEGX)、 m/z 86(普鲁卡因,内标)）。结果表明,MEGX在血清中的浓度在1.562～25 ng/mL范围内的线性关系良好,相关系数0.9981,最低检测限为0.5 ng/mL,不同浓度MEGX的萃取回收率在80.1%～85.7%之间。实验证明该方法快速、准确,选择性好,灵敏度高,适合用于血清中微量MEGX的测定。