Accurate quantification of dimethylamine (DMA) in human urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as pentafluorobenzamide derivative: evaluation of the relationship between DMA and its precursor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in health and disease

Dimethylamine [DMA, (CH(3))(2)NH)] is abundantly present in human urine. Main sources of urinary DMA have been reported to include trimethylamine N-oxide, a common food component, and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. ADMA is excreted in the urine in part unmetabolized and in part after hydrolysis to DMA by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH). Here we describe a GC-MS method for the accurate and rapid quantification of DMA in human urine. The method involves use of (CD(3))(2)NH as internal standard, simultaneous derivatization with pentafluorobenzoyl chloride and extraction in toluene, and selected-ion monitoring of m/z 239 for DMA and m/z 245 for (CD(3))(2)NH in the electron ionization mode. GC-MS analysis of urine samples from 10 healthy volunteers revealed a DMA concentration of 264+/-173 microM equivalent to 10.1+/-1.64 micromol/mmol creatinine. GC-tandem MS analysis of the same urine samples revealed an ADMA concentration of 27.3+/-15.3 microM corresponding to 1.35+/-1.2 micromol/mmol creatinine. In these volunteers, a positive correlation (R=0.83919, P=0.0024) was found between urinary DMA and ADMA, with the DMA/ADMA molar ratio being 10.8+/-6.2. Elevated excretion rates of DMA (52.9+/-18.5 micromol/mmol creatinine) and ADMA (3.85+/-1.65 micromol/mmol creatinine) were found by the method in 49 patients suffering from coronary artery disease, with the DMA/ADMA molar ratio also being elevated (16.8+/-12.8). In 12 patients suffering from end-stage liver disease, excretion rates of DMA (47.8+/-19.7 micromol/mmol creatinine) and ADMA (5.6+/-1.5 micromol/mmol creatinine) were found to be elevated, with the DMA/ADMA molar ratio (9.17+/-4.2) being insignificantly lower (P=0.46). Between urinary DMA and ADMA there was a positive correlation (R=0.6655, P<0.0001) in coronary artery disease, but no correlation (R=0.27339) was found in end-stage liver disease.     

Ultra-rapid procedure to test for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in blood and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a substance naturally present within mammal species. Properties of a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator are generally suggested for this substance. GHB is therapeutically used as an anaesthetic, but can be used for criminal offences (date-rape drug). It appears that the window of detection of GHB is very short in both blood and urine, and therefore its presence is very difficult to prove after a rape case. Twenty microl of blood or urine were pipetted into a glass tube, followed by 20 microl GHB-d(6) and 45 microl acetonitrile. After vortexing and efficient centrifugation, the supernatant was collected and evaporated to dryness. The residue was derivatized with BSTFA+1% TMCS for 20 min at 70 degrees C. After injection on a 30-m HP5 MS capillary column, GHB (m/z 233, 204 and 147) and GHB-d(6) (m/z 239) were identified by mass spectrometry. The procedure was linear from 1 to 200 mg/l for both blood and urine. Precisions were in the range 4 to 11%. The method appears simple, specific and rapid as an accurate result can be obtained within 1 h.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of DA-7867, a new oxazolidinone,in human plasma and urine and in rat tissue homogenates

An HPLC method was developed for the determination of a new oxazolidinone, DA-7867 (I), in human plasma and urine and in rat tissue homogenates. To 100 microl of biological sample, 300 microl acetonitrile and 50 microl methanol containing 10 microg/ml DA-7858 (the internal standard) were added. After vortex-mixing and centrifugation, the supernatant was evaporated under a gentle stream of nitrogen. The residue was reconstituted in 100 microl of the mobile phase and a 50-microl aliquot was injected directly onto the reversed-phase (C(18)) column. The mobile phase, 20 mM KH2PO4:acetonitrile (75:25, v/v) was run at a flow rate of 1.5 ml/min and the column effluent was monitored by a UV detector set at 300 nm. The retention times of I and DA-7858 were approximately 6.5 and 8.7 min, respectively. The detection limits of I in human plasma and urine and in rat tissue homogenates were 20, 20, and 50 ng/ml, respectively.     

Testing for kavain in human hair using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive, specific and reproducible method for the quantitative determination of kavain in human hair has been developed. The sample preparation involved a decontamination step of the hair with methylene chloride. The hair sample (about 50 mg) was incubated in 1 ml of methanol for 1 h, in an ultrasonic bath, in presence of 20 ng of methaqualone-d7 used as internal standard. The methanolic solution was evaporated to dryness, and the residue reconstituted by adding 30 microl of methanol. A 2 microl aliquot of the extract was injected onto the column (Optima5-MS capillary column, 5% phenyl-95% methylsiloxane, 30 m x 0.25 mm i.d. x 0.25 mm film thickness) of a Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) gas chromatograph (5890). Kavain was detected by its parent ion at m/z 230 and daughter ions at m/z 111 and 202 through a Finnigan TSQ 700 MS/MS system. The assay was capable of detecting 30 pg/mg of kavain (limit of detection (LOD)). Linearity was observed for kavain concentrations ranging from 100 to 2000 pg/mg with a correlation coefficient of 0.998. Intra-day precision at 400 pg/mg was 13.7%. The analysis of a segment of hair, obtained from an occasional consumer, revealed the presence of kavain at the concentration of 418 pg/mg. A higher concentration (1708 pg/mg) was detected in the corresponding pubic hair.     

Determination of myo-inositol in biological samples by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method using liquid-liquid extraction was developed for the determination of 1-(3-fluoro-4-hydroxy-5-mercaptomethyl-tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrimidine-2,4-dione (l-FMAUS; I) in rat plasma and urine. A 100 microl aliquot of distilled water containing l-cysteine (100 mg/ml) was added to a 100 microl aliquot of biological sample. l-Cysteine was employed to protect binding between the 5'-thiol of I and protein in the biological sample. After vortex-mixing for 30s and adding a 50 microl aliquot of the mobile phase containing the internal standard (10 microg/ml of 3-aminophenyl sulfone), 1 ml of ethyl acetate was used for extraction. After vortex-mixing, centrifugation, and evaporating the ethyl acetate, the residue was reconstituted with a 100 microl aliquot of the mobile phase. A 50 microl aliquot was injected onto a C(18) reversed-phase column. The mobile phases, 50 mM KH(2)PO(4) (pH = 2.5):acetonitrile (85:15, v/v) for rat plasma and 50 mM KH(2)PO(4) (pH 2.5):acetonitrile:methanol (85:10:5, v/v/v) for urine samples, were run at a flow-rate of 1.2 ml/min. The column effluent was monitored by an ultraviolet detector set at 265 nm. The retention times for I and the internal standard were approximately 9.7 and 12.5 min, respectively, in plasma samples and the corresponding values in urine samples were 16.8 and 14.9 min. The quantitation limits of I in rat plasma and urine were 0.1 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively.     

Determination of NG,NG-dimethyl-L-arginine, an endogenous NO synthase inhibitor, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A fully validated gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method for the accurate and precise quantification of NG,NG-dimethyl-L-arginine (asymmetric dimethylarginine, ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of the NO synthase, in cell culture supernatants and in small volumes of plasma is described. ADMA was concentrated by solid phase extraction and converted to its methyl ester pentafluoropropionic amide derivative. The derivatives were analyzed without any further purification. Using gas chromatography-chemical ionization mass spectrometry, fragment ions at m/z 634 and m/z 640 were obtained for ADMA and for NG,NG-[2H6]-dimethyl-L-arginine ([2H6]-ADMA) as internal standard, respectively. [2H6]-ADMA was synthesized by reaction of L-ornithine fastened at bromcyan-agarose with dimethylamine. The limit of detection of the method was 2 fmol, while the limit of quantitation for cell culture supernatants was 0.05 microM. The method was validated in a concentration range of 0-1.2 microM in cell culture medium and 0-2 microM in 50 microl aliquots of human plasma. The precision was > or =97% and the accuracy was determined to be > or =94%. This method is fast, rugged and an alternative to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of ADMA in cell culture supernatants and small volumes of human plasma.     

Accurate quantification of dimethylamine (DMA) in human plasma and serum by GC-MS and GC-tandem MS as pentafluorobenzamide derivative in the positive-ion chemical ionization mode

Dimethylamine (DMA) circulates in human blood and is excreted in the urine. Major precursor for endogenous DMA is asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. ADMA is hydrolyzed to DMA and L-citrulline by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH). In previous work, we reported a GC-MS method for the quantification of DMA in human urine. This method involves simultaneous derivatization of endogenous DMA and the internal standard (CD(3))(2)NH by pentafluorobenzoyl chloride (PFBoylCl) and extraction of the pentafluorobenzamide derivatives by toluene. In the present work, we optimized this derivatization/extraction procedure for the quantitative determination of DMA in human plasma. Optimized experimental parameters included vortex time and concentration of PFBoylCl, carbonate and internal standard. The GC-MS method was thoroughly validated and applied to measure DMA concentrations in human plasma and serum samples. GC-MS quantification was performed by selected-ion monitoring of the protonated molecules at m/z 240 for DMA and m/z 246 for (CD(3))(2)NH in the positive-ion chemical ionization mode. Circulating DMA concentration in healthy young women (n=18) was determined to be 1.43+/-0.23 micaroM in serum, 1.73+/-0.17 microM in lithium heparin plasma, and 9.84+/-1.43 microM in EDTA plasma. DMA was identified as an abundant contaminant in EDTA vacutainer tubes (9.3+/-1.9 nmol/monovette, n=6). Serum and lithium heparin vacutainer tubes contained considerably smaller amounts of DMA (0.42+/-0.01 and 0.95+/-0.01 nmol/monovette, respectively, each n=6). Serum is recommended as the most appropriate matrix for measuring DMA in human blood. The present GC-MS method should be useful for the determination of systemic and whole body DDAH activity by measuring circulating and excretory DMA in experimental and clinical studies.     

Asymmetrical dimethylarginine plasma clearance persists after acute total nephrectomy in rats

Elevated plasma concentrations of symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA) and asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) are repeatedly associated with kidney failure. Both ADMA and SDMA can be excreted in urine. We tested whether renal excretion is necessary for acute, short-term maintenance of plasma ADMA and SDMA. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent sham operation, bilateral nephrectomy (NPX), ureteral ligation, or ureteral section under isoflurane anesthesia. Tail-snip blood samples (250 microl) were taken before and at 6- or 12-h intervals for 72 h after operation. Plasma clearance was assessed in intact and NPX rats. High-performance liquid chromatography determined SDMA and ADMA concentrations. Sodium, potassium, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and body weight were also measured. Forty-eight hours after NPX, SDMA increased 25 times (0.23 +/- 0.03 to 5.68 +/- 0.30 microM), whereas ADMA decreased (1.17 +/- 0.08 to 0.73 +/- 0.08 microM) by 38%. Creatinine and BUN increased, paralleling SDMA. Sham-operated animals showed no significant changes. Increased SDMA confirms continuous systemic production of SDMA and its obligatory renal excretion, much like creatinine. In contrast, decreased plasma ADMA suggests that acute total NPX either reduced systemic ADMA formation and/or systemic hydrolysis of ADMA increased 48-h post-NPX. However, plasma clearance of ADMA appeared unchanged 48 h after NPX. We conclude that renal excretory function is needed for SDMA elimination but not needed for acute, short-term ADMA elimination in that systemic hydrolysis is fully capable of clearing plasma ADMA.     

Increased asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) activity in childhood hypercholesterolemia type II

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) systemic concentrations are elevated in hypercholesterolemic adults and contribute to nitric oxide (NO) dependent endothelial dysfunction. Decreased activity of the key ADMA-hydrolyzing enzyme dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) may be involved. Yet, the ADMA/DDAH/NO pathway has not been investigated in childhood hypercholesterolemia. We studied 64 children with hypercholesterolemia type II (HCh-II) and 54 normocholesterolemic (NCh) children (mean ± SD; age, years: 11.1 ± 3.5 vs. 11.9 ± 4.6). Plasma and urine ADMA was measured by GC-MS/MS. Dimethylamine (DMA), the ADMA metabolite, creatinine, nitrite and nitrate in urine were measured by GC-MS. The DMA/ADMA molar ratio in urine was calculated to estimate whole body DDAH activity. ADMA plasma concentration (mean ± SD; nM: 571 ± 85 vs. 542 ± 110, P = 0.17) and ADMA urinary excretion rate (mean ± SD: 7.1 ± 2 versus 7.2 ± 3 μmol/mmol creatinine, P = 0.6) were similar in HCh-II and NCh children. Both DMA excretion rate [median (25th-75th percentile): 56.3 (46.4-109.1) vs. 45.2 (22.2-65.5) μmol/mmol creatinine, P = 0.0004] and DMA/ADMA molar ratio [median (25th-75th percentile): 9.2 (6.0-16.3) vs. 5.4 (3.8-9.4), P = 0.0004] were slightly but statistically significantly increased in HCh-II children compared to NCh children. Plasma and urinary nitrite and nitrate were similar in both groups. In HCh-II whole body DDAH activity is elevated as compared to NCh. HCh-II children treated with drugs for hypercholesterolemia had lower plasma ADMA levels than untreated HCh-II or NCh children, presumably via increased DDAH activity. Differences between treated and untreated HCh-II children were not due to differences in age. In conclusion, HCh-II children do not have elevated ADMA plasma levels, largely due to an apparent increase in DDAH activity. While this would tend to limit development of endothelial dysfunction, it is not clear whether this might be medication-induced or represent a primary change in HCh-II children.     

Method for the determination of blood methotrexate by high performance liquid chromatography with online post-column electrochemical oxidation and fluorescence detection

Methotrexate (MTX) has been widely used at low dose for the treatment of different diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. MTX might be present in plasma in free form, and in blood cells in methotrexate polyglutamate (MTXPG). A rapid and sensitive HPLC method was developed for the determination of plasma MTX level, whole-blood MTX level, and whole-blood total MTX (MTX+MTXPG) level. To determine plasma MTX level or whole-blood MTX level, a 0.2-ml aliquot of plasma or whole blood (after a freeze-thaw cycle to break blood cells) was well mixed with 0.8 ml methanol and centrifuged. To determine whole-blood total MTX level, a 0.1-ml aliquot of whole blood (after a freeze-thaw cycle) was mixed with 80 microl ascorbic acid (114 mM) and incubated at 37 degrees C for 2h to enzymatically convert the MTXPG to MTX. Then 20 microl NaOH solution (0.5M) and 0.8 ml methanol were added and mixed well. After centrifugation, a 0.5-ml aliquot of the supernatant was evaporated to dryness and re-dissolved in 0.2 ml hydrochloric acid (10mM). Methylene chloride (0.2 ml) was added and mixed well. After centrifugation, the top aqueous layer was injected to HPLC for analysis. After the MTX was eluted from the HPLC column, it was electrochemically oxidized and detected by a fluorescence detector. Recoveries of spiked MTX at ppb (ng/ml) level were between 87.9 and 118% with within-day relative standard deviation less than 5.2% and day-to-day relative standard deviation less than 9.8%. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the described method were 1.2 and 2.6 ng/ml, respectively.     

Measurement of paclitaxel in biological matrices: high-throughput liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric quantification of paclitaxel and metabolites in human and dog plasma

A GLP-validated, sensitive and specific LC-MS-MS method for the quantification of paclitaxel and its 6-alpha- and 3'-p-hydroxy metabolites is presented. A 0.400 ml plasma aliquot is spiked with a (13)C(6)-labeled paclitaxel internal standard and extracted with 1 ml methyl-tert.-butyl ether. The ether is evaporated and the residue is reconstituted in 130 microl of 30% aqueous acetonitrile (ACN) containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. Isocratic HPLC analysis is performed by injecting 50 microl of the reconstituted material onto a 50x2.1 mm C(18) column with an ACN-water-acetic acid (50:50:0.1) mobile phase at 200 microl/min flow. Detection is by positive ion electrospray followed by multiple reaction monitoring of the following transitions: paclitaxel (854>509 u), 6-alpha-hydroxy paclitaxel (870>525 u), 3'-p-hydroxy paclitaxel (870>509 u) and internal standard (860>509 u). Quantification is by peak area ratio against the 13C(6) internal standard. The method range is 0.117-117 nM (0.1-100 ng/ml) for paclitaxel and both metabolites using a 0.400 ml human or dog plasma sample. Analysis time per sample is less than 5 min.     

Efficient HPLC method for the determination of nicarbazin, as dinitrocarbanilide in broiler liver

A simple, fast and reliable HPLC-UV method has been developed for the determination of dinitrocarbanilide residues in broiler liver. Liver samples (2 g) were extracted with two portions of acetonitrile (10 and 5 ml), defatted with hexane and evaporated to dryness under nitrogen. Extracts were reconstituted in acetonitrile-water (70/30, v/v, 500 microl), loaded onto C18 solid phase (SPE) cartridges and eluted with acetonitrile-water (70/30, v/v, 2.5 ml) into clean test-tubes. Extracts were evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in acetonitrile-water (80/20, v/v, 500 microl). An aliquot of the extract was assayed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection at 350 nm. The method was validated according to EU guidelines using liver tissues fortified at levels of 100, 200 and 300 microg/kg, with dinitrocarbanilide. The decision limit (CC(alpha)) and the detection capability (CC(beta)) were calculated from the within laboratory repeatability data to be 228 and 266 microg/kg, respectively. The mean recovery was typically >70% and the limits of quantitation was 12.5 microg/kg (based on the lowest standard on the calibration curve).     

Determination of aesculin in rat plasma by high performance liquid chromatography method and its application to pharmacokinetics studies

A sensitive and reproducible high performance liquid chromatography method with UV detection was described for the determination of aesculin in rat plasma. After deproteinization by methanol using metronidazole as internal standard (I.S.), solutes were evaporated to dryness at 40 degrees C under a gentle stream of nitrogen. The residue was reconstituted in 100 microl of mobile phase and a volume of 20 microl was injected into the HPLC for analysis. Solutes were separated on a Diamonsil C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm particle size, Dikma) protected by a ODS guard column (10 mm x 4.0 mm i.d., 5 microm particle size), using acetonitrile-0.1% triethylamine solution (adjusted to pH 3.0 using phosphoric acid) (10:90, v/v) as mobile phase (flow-rate 1.0 ml/min), and wavelength of the UV detector was set at 338 nm. No interference from any endogenous substances was observed during the elution of aesculin and internal standard (I.S., metronidazole). The retention times for I.S and aesculin were 10.4 and 12.4 min, respectively. The limit of quantification was evaluated to be 57.4 ng/ml and the limit of detection was 24.0 ng/ml. The method was used in the study of pharmacokinetics of aesculin after intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) administration in rats.     

SUBSTANCES AFFECTING ADULT TISSUE IN VITRO : III. A STIMULANT (THE "A FACTOR") IN SERUM ULTRAFILTRATE INVOLVED IN OVERCOMING ADULT TISSUE DORMANCY

1. The growth of fresh adult tissue in plasma medium suggested that plasma contained a substance active in overcoming the dormancy of adult tissues. 2. Incubation of adult chicken aorta in serum (from chickens or other species) before it was planted in a plasma medium, resulted in a much shorter lag period and a faster initial growth than that of control tissue incubated in Tyrode solution (or of fresh untreated tissue). In other words, serum helped overcome the dormancy of adult tissue while Tyrode solution preserved the tissue in a dormant state. This activity of serum was shown to be due neither to its albumin or globulin nor to its lipase or other enzymes. 3. The ultrafiltrate from serum was highly active in overcoming adult tissue dormancy, while the dialyzed residue was inactive. The ultrafiltrate was not species specific. It withstood 100°C. in neutral solution for 10 minutes, but not for 3 hours, and was destroyed at pH 2 and pH 12. It was active after 10 months in the ice box. It does not affect tissues in the cold. 4. Copper acetate precipitated a fraction from serum ultrafiltrate which, when freed from copper, was stimulating to the initial growth of adult aorta tissue. 5. Calcium chloride precipitated fractions from serum ultrafiltrate (and also from urine) which were stimulating. 6. Attempts to concentrate the A factor, the active agent, by vacuum evaporation and subsequent fractionation with different solvents were not satisfactory. 7. Lymph was highly stimulating and ventricular fluid slightly stimulating. 8. No growth was obtained in the absence of the A factor, but we doubt that it is alone responsible for overcoming the dormancy of adult tissue.     

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of cis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid (cis-EODA). II. Quantitative determination of cis-EODA in human plasma

Cytochrome P450 dependent epoxidation and non-enzymic lipid peroxidation of oleic acid (cis-9-octadecenoic acid) result in the formation of cis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid (cis-EODA). This oleic acid oxide has been identified indirectly in blood and urine of humans. Reliable concentrations of circulating cis-EODA have not been reported thus far. In the present article, we report on the first GC-tandem MS method for the accurate quantitative determination in human plasma of authentic cis-EODA as its pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) ester. cis-[9,10-2H2]-EODA (cis-d2-EODA) was synthesized by chemical epoxidation of commercially available cis-[9,10-2H2]-9-octadecenoic acid and used as an internal standard for quantification. Endogenous cis-EODA and externally added cis-[9,10-2H2]-EODA were isolated from acidified plasma samples (1 ml; pH 4.5) by solvent or solid-phase extraction, converted into their PFB esters, isolated by HPLC and quantified by selected reaction monitoring. The parent ions [M-PFB]- at mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) 297 for cis-EODA and m/z 299 for (cis-d2-EODA) were subjected to collisionally-activated dissociation and the corresponding characteristic product ions at m/z 171 and 172 were monitored. In plasma of nine healthy humans (5 females, 4 males), cis-EODA was found to be present at 47.6+/-7.4 nM (mean+/-S.D.). Plasma cis-EODA levels were statistically insignificantly different (P=0.10403, t-test) in females (51.1+/-3.4 nM) and males (43.1+/-2.2 nM). cis-EODA was identified as a considerable contamination in laboratory plastic ware and found to contribute to endogenous cis-EODA by approximately 2 nM. The present GC-tandem MS method should be useful in investigating the physiological role(s) of cis-EODA in humans.     

Quantification of acetaminophen (paracetamol) in human plasma and urine by stable isotope-dilution GC-MS and GC-MS/MS as pentafluorobenzyl ether derivative

We report on the quantitative determination of acetaminophen (paracetamol; NAPAP-d(0)) in human plasma and urine by GC-MS and GC-MS/MS in the electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionization (ECNICI) mode after derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) bromide (PFB-Br). Commercially available tetradeuterated acetaminophen (NAPAP-d(4)) was used as the internal standard. NAPAP-d(0) and NAPAP-d(4) were extracted from 100-μL aliquots of plasma and urine with 300 μL ethyl acetate (EA) by vortexing (60s). After centrifugation the EA phase was collected, the solvent was removed under a stream of nitrogen gas, and the residue was reconstituted in acetonitrile (MeCN, 100 μL). PFB-Br (10 μL, 30 vol% in MeCN) and N,N-diisopropylethylamine (10 μL) were added and the mixture was incubated for 60 min at 30 °C. Then, solvents and reagents were removed under nitrogen and the residue was taken up with 1000 μL of toluene, from which 1-μL aliquots were injected in the splitless mode. GC-MS quantification was performed by selected-ion monitoring ions due to [M-PFB](-) and [M-PFB-H](-), m/z 150 and m/z 149 for NAPAP-d(0) and m/z 154 and m/z 153 for NAPAP-d(4), respectively. GC-MS/MS quantification was performed by selected-reaction monitoring the transition m/z 150 → m/z 107 and m/z 149 → m/z 134 for NAPAP-d(0) and m/z 154 → m/z 111 and m/z 153 → m/z 138 for NAPAP-d(4). The method was validated for human plasma (range, 0-130 μM NAPAP-d(0)) and urine (range, 0-1300 μM NAPAP-d(0)). Accuracy (recovery, %) ranged between 89 and 119%, and imprecision (RSD, %) was below 19% in these matrices and ranges. A close correlation (r>0.999) was found between the concentrations measured by GC-MS and GC-MS/MS. By this method, acetaminophen can be reliably quantified in small plasma and urine sample volumes (e.g., 10 μL). The analytical performance of the method makes it especially useful in pediatrics.     

Sensitive gas-liquid chromatographic method for the assay of the neuroleptic drug cis(Z)-flupentixol in human serum or plasma

A gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) assay suitable for the analysis of the cis(Z)-stereoisomer of the antipsychotic drug flupentixol in human serum or plasma was developed. The minimal quantifiable concentration was 0.5 ng/ml and the day-to-day coefficient of variation was 11.2% at 1 ng/ml and 8.7% at 10 ng/ml. Following addition of perphenazine as the internal standard (I.S.) and aqueous NaOH, samples (2 ml) are extracted with n-hexane-isoamyl alcohol (98.5:1.5, v/v) (solvent), back-extracted to 0.1 M HCl and after one washing-step and addition of aqueous NaOH again extracted into 100 μl solvent. After evaporation to dryness, the extract is reconstituted in 20 μl solvent and evaporated to approximative 10 μl. A 4-μl aliquot is injected cool on-column onto the GLC system. A gas chromatograph HP 5890 with on-column injection port, nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD), a HP-1 25 m × 0.32 mm I.D., 0.5 μm capillary and hydrogen (3 ml/min, automated pressure control) as the carrier gas was applied. The negative influence of light on the assay was measured and discussed. The suitability of this method for clinical pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was determined by the analysis of serum samples of 12 schizophrenic patients.     

High performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometric determination of tolterodine tartrate in human plasma

A selective and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method has been developed for the determination of tolterodine tartrate in human plasma. With oxybutynin as internal standard, tolterodine tartrate was extracted from plasma with n-hexane: isopropanol (95:5, v/v). The organic layer was evaporated and the residue was redissolved in mobile phase comprised of acetonitrile-water (10 mM CH3COONH4, pH 3.0)=50:50 (v/v). An aliquot of 10 microl was chromatographically analyzed on a prepacked Shimadzu Shim-pack VP-ODS C18 column (150 mmx2.0 mm I.D.) by means of selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode mass spectrometry. Standard curves were linear (r=0.9993) over the concentration range of 0.1-30.0 ng/ml and had good accuracy and precision. The within- and between-batch precisions were within 10% relative standard deviation. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.05 ng/ml. The validated LC-ESI-MS method has been used successfully to study tolterodine tartrate pharmacokinetic, bioavailability and bioequivalence in 20 healthy male volunteers.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of 1-β- -arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil and its metabolite (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil in serum

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to assay 1-β- -arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil and its metabolite (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil in serum. The chloro analogue of the parent drug is used as internal standard. Human serum samples were assayed to establish the pharmacokinetic parameters. Acetonitrile, used as a protein precipitant, was evaporated to dryness and the residue, containing the analytes and internal reference, was dissolved in mobile phase prior to chromatographic analysis. The minimum quantifiable level was 0.02 μg of each analyte per ml of serum.     

Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of retinol, α-tocopherol and β-carotene in human plasma and low-density lipoproteins

A reversed-phase HPLC method with diode-array detection was used to simultaneously determine retinol, α-tocopherol and β-carotene in human plasma and low-density lipoproteins. An aliquot of sample was de-proteinized with ethanol containing α-tocopherol acetate as internal standard, and the analytes were extracted twice with hexane. The solvent was evaporated to dryness under a stream of nitrogen and the residue was redissolved in methanol to be injected directly into the HPLC system. A multiple solvent system based on methanol, butanol and water at a flow-rate of 2 ml/min and held at 45°C provided clear separation of these compounds in only 8 min. The method showed good linearity, precision and accuracy for all compounds. Owing to its simplicity, this method may be useful in routine clinical and epidemiological work.