Determination of aldosterone in serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Measurement of serum aldosterone is clinically important in the diagnosis of hypertension. While isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (ID-GC-MS) provides reliable results, it requires derivatization and is lengthy and time-consuming. Detection by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a potentially superior method. The analysis utilizes 0.5mL of serum. The samples were extracted with dichloromethane-ether. The extract was evaporated to dryness and aldosterone was analyzed by LC-MS/MS operating in the negative mode ESI after separation on a reversed-phase column. Aldosterone was also measured by RIA. The calibration curves for analysis of serum aldosterone exhibited consistent linearity and reproducibility in the range of 60-3000pmol/L. Interassay CVs were 4.3-7.5% at aldosterone concentrations of 97-993pmol/L. The lower limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 30pmol/L (signal to noise ratio=10). The mean recovery of the analyte added to serum ranged from 95 to 102%. The regression equation by LC-MS/MS (x) and RIA (y) method was: y=1.33x+185 (r=0.95; n=124). Sensitivity and specificity of the LC-MS/MS method for serum aldosterone offer advantages over GC-MS by eliminating derivatization. The novel method is rapid, reliable and simple to perform with a routine LC-MS/MS spectrometer. The sensitivity is adequate for patient samples. Aldosterone concentrations reported by nonextraction RIA were consistently higher than those produced by LC-MS/MS.     

Clinical determination of 17-hydroxyprogesterone in serum by LC-MS/MS: comparison to Coat-A-Count RIA method

17alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone is a metabolic precursor of cortisol; elevated levels of 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone are indicative of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Traditional determination by immunoassay is plagued by poor antibody specificity, resulting in significant interferences. This study explores an LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of 17OHP in serum. Deuterated 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone was added as internal standard, followed by solid-phase extraction, HPLC separation with a C16-amide reverse-phase column with run time of 7 min, and quantification by MS/MS (positive electrospray ionisation) in the selected reaction monitoring mode (SRM). Transitions monitored were 331>109 for the analyte and 339>113 for the deuterated internal standard. Intra-assay precision (%R.S.D.) was 7.4% at 7 nmol/L, inter-assay precision (%R.S.D.) at 2, 7 and 27 nmol/L was 15.4, 10.0 and 7.9% and accuracy at 0.9 nmol/L was 100%. The method was linear from 0.156 to 80 nmol/L. Lower limit of quantitation was 0.2 nmol/L, providing meaningful data for patients within normal range as well as those with elevated levels.     

LC-ESI-MS determination and pharmacokinetics of adrafinil in rats

A highly sensitive and specific liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for investigating the pharmacokinetics of adrafinil in rats was developed. Rat serum pretreated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) was analyzed by LC-MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile:water:acetic acid (35:65:0.1, v/v/v) in an isocratic elution mode pumped at 1.0ml/min. The analytical column (250mmx4.6mm i.d.) was packed with Kromasil C(18) material (5.0mum). The standard curve was linear from 16.5 to 5000ng/ml. The assay was specific, accurate (R.S.D.<2.6%), precise and reproducible (within- and between-day precisions R.S.D. <7.0% and <9.0%, respectively). Adrafinil in rat serum was stable over three freeze-thaw cycles at ambient temperature for 6h. The method had a lower limit of quantitation of 16.5ng/ml, which offered high sensitivity for the determination of adrafinil in serum. The method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of adrafinil after an oral administration to rats.     

Simultaneous analysis of angiotensin peptides by LC-MS and LC-MS/MS: metabolism by bovine adrenal endothelial cells

Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods were developed to simultaneously determine the concentrations of angiotensin (Ang) II, Ang 1-7, Ang III, and Ang IV in biological samples. The samples were extracted with C18 solid-phase extraction cartridges and separated by a reverse-phase C18 column using acetonitrile in water with 0.1% formic acid as a mobile phase. Ang peptides were ionized by electrospray and detected by triple quadrupole MS in the positive ion mode. (M+3H)(3+) and (M+2H)(2+) ions were chosen as the detected ions in the single ion recording (SIR) mode for LC-MS. The limits of detection (signal/noise [S/N]=3) using SIR are 1 pg for Ang IV and 5 pg for Ang 1-7, Ang III, and Ang II. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was used for LC-MS/MS. The limits of detection (S/N =3) using MRM are 20 pg for Ang IV and 25 pg for Ang 1-7, Ang III, and Ang II. These methods were applied to analyze Ang peptides in bovine adrenal microvascular endothelial cells. The results show that Ang II is metabolized by endothelial cells to Ang 1-7, Ang III, and Ang IV, with Ang 1-7 being the major metabolite.     

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric assay for quantitation of the histone deacetylase inhibitor, vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamicacid, SAHA), and its metabolites in human serum

Vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, SAHA) is undergoing evaluation as an antineoplastic agent. We developed a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay for quantitating vorinostat and its major metabolites, vorinostat glucuronide and 4-anilino-4-oxobutanoic acid, in human serum. The assay uses: deuterated internal standards; acetonitrile protein precipitation; a BDS Hypersil C18 (3 microm, 100 mm x 3 mm) column; a gradient mobile phase of 0.5% acetic acid in acetonitrile and water; and electrospray positive-mode ionization with selected reaction monitoring (SRM) detection. The lower limit of quantitation was 3.0 ng/ml for each analyte. The assay is being employed in at least 12 clinical studies of vorinostat-containing regimens.     

Quantitative determination of dehydroepiandrosterone fatty acyl esters in human female adipose tissue and serum using mass spectrometric methods

Dehydroepiandrosterone-fatty acyl esters (DHEA-FAE) are naturally occurring water-insoluble metabolites of DHEA, which are transported in plasma exclusively by lipoproteins. To find out whether DHEA, like estradiol, might be stored in adipose tissue in FAE form, we set up a mass spectrometric method to quantify DHEA-FAE and free DHEA in human adipose tissue and serum. The method consists of chromatographic purification steps and final determination of hydrolyzed DHEA-FAE and free DHEA, which was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our results showed that no detectable amounts of DHEA-FAE could be found in adipose tissue although 32-178 pmol/g of free DHEA were determined by GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. The DHEA-FAE concentrations in serum quantified by GC-MS were 1.4±0.7 pmol/ml in premenopausal women (n=7), and 0.9±0.4 pmol/ml in postmenopausal women (n=5). Correspondingly, the free DHEA concentrations were 15.2±6.3 pmol/ml and 6.8±3.0 pmol/ml. In addition, the mean proportions of DHEA-FAE of total DHEA (DHEA-FAE+free DHEA) in serum were 8.6% and 11.2% in pre- and postmenopausal women, respectively. Serum DHEA-FAE concentration was below quantification limit for LC-MS/MS (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N=10), while free DHEA concentrations varied between 5.8 and 23.2 pmol/ml. In conclusion, the proportion of DHEA-FAE of total DHEA in serum was approximately 9%. However, in contrast to our previous findings for estradiol fatty acid esters in adipose tissue which constituted about 80% of total estradiol (esterified+free), the proportion of DHEA-FAE of total DHEA was below 5%. Four to ten times higher concentrations of free DHEA were quantified in adipose tissue compared to those in serum.     

Sample preparation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for multiple steroids in mammalian and avian circulation

Blood samples from wild mammals and birds are often limited in volume, allowing researchers to quantify only one or two steroids from a single sample by immunoassays. In addition, wildlife serum or plasma samples are often lipemic, necessitating stringent sample preparation. Here, we validated sample preparation for simultaneous liquid chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantitation of cortisol, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 17β-estradiol, progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone from diverse mammalian (7 species) and avian (5 species) samples. Using 100 μL of serum or plasma, we quantified (signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio ≥ 10) 4-7 steroids depending on the species and sample, without derivatization. Steroids were extracted from serum or plasma using automated solid-phase extraction where samples were loaded onto C18 columns, washed with water and hexane, and then eluted with ethyl acetate. Quantitation by LC-MS/MS was done in positive ion, multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM) mode with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source and heated nebulizer (500°C). Deuterated steroids served as internal standards and run time was 15 minutes. Extraction recoveries were 87-101% for the 8 analytes, and all intra- and inter-run CVs were ≤ 8.25%. This quantitation method yields good recoveries with variable lipid-content samples, avoids antibody cross-reactivity issues, and delivers results for multiple steroids. Thus, this method can enrich datasets by providing simultaneous quantitation of multiple steroids, and allow researchers to reimagine the hypotheses that could be tested with their volume-limited, lipemic, wildlife samples.     

Simple method for the quantitative analysis of endogenous folate catabolites p-aminobenzoylglutamate (pABG) and its acetamido (apABG) derivative in human serum and urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

OBJECTIVE: To develop a routine method for quantitative measurement of the folate catabolites p-aminobenzoylglutamate (pABG) and acetamidobenzoylglutamate (apABG) in serum and urine using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). DESIGN AND METHODS: Urine, serum and aqueous standards were thawed. Two microliters of d3-glutamic acid (d3-Glu; 1 mmol/L) was added to 200 uL of specimen as internal standard. The samples were acidified with 4 uL 6N HCL, and aliquots were precipitated with 2 volumes (412 uL) of acetonitrile. For urine specimens 30 volumes (6.18 mL) of acetonitrile was used. Samples were centrifuged at 1900 x g for 10 min and the supernatant (10 microL) injected into a Biorad CAT/MET analytical column fitted to the LC-MS/MS. Detection of the catabolites was by selective multiple ion monitoring (multiple SRM) of the respective transitions. Urine and serum samples were analysed in a group of healthy volunteers and in anonymous samples from patients being tested for PTH and urinary catecholamines. RESULTS: pABG and apABG eluted at 5.2 and 4.74 min, respectively while the d3-glutamic acid eluted at around 7 min. Limit of quantitation (LOQ) for both catabolites was 10 nmol/L (which is equivalent to 33.3 fmol for a 10 microL injection). Limit of detection (LOD) was 1 nmol/L based on a signal to noise ratio of 5:1. A linear calibration curve was obtained from 10 to 100 nmol/L for serum specimens and from 10 to 200 micromol/L for urines. Imprecision for spiked serum samples (n=10) was between 2.5 and 20% for apABG and 4.5 and 21% for pABG (at 10 and 100 nmol/L, respectively). Imprecision for spiked urine samples (n=10) was between 2.9 and 4.0% for apABG and 6.0-12.7% for pABG. Recoveries were between 80 and 122% for serum samples and between 92 and 102% for urine specimens. Total folate catabolites in random urine samples from volunteers (n=5) are 2.9+/-2.3 umol/L (mean+/-S.D.). This group also had total serum catabolites of 11.9+/-7.6 nmol/L and serum folate of 35.3+/-5.8 nmol/L. Serum from patients being tested for PTH (n=11) had serum folate levels of 27.0+/-10.4 nmol/L with total serum catabolites of 20.4+/-23.8 nmol/L. Levels of serum folate and total catabolites in pregnant women (n=18) were 33.9+/-22.7 and 11.4+/-8.7 nmol/L, respectively. Mean urinary folate catabolites in patients being tested for urinary catecholamines (n=19) was 581.8+/-368.4 nmol/L. CONCLUSION: A simple, reliable and highly specific method by LC-MS/MS for detecting and quantifying the folate catabolites pABG and apABG was developed. This enables, for the first time, the routine clinical analysis of folate utilization in patients.     

A fast and simple assay for busulfan in serum or plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using turbulent flow online extraction technology

Busulfan is used in myeloablative preparation regimens for hematopoietic bone marrow transplantation. Due to its narrow therapeutic range therapeutic drug monitoring of busulfan is recommended. In this study a fast and simple method for measuring busulfan in serum or plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been developed utilizing turbulent flow online extraction technology. Serum or plasma was mixed with acetonitrile containing d(8)-busulfan. After centrifugation the supernatant was injected onto a turbulent flow preparatory column then transferred to a C18 analytical column monitored by a tandem mass spectrometer set at positive electrospray ionization. The analytical cycle time was 4.0min. The method was linear from 0.15 to 41.90μmol/L with an accuracy of 87.9-103.0%. Inter- and intra-assay CVs across four concentration levels were 2.1-7.8%. No significant carryover or ion suppression was observed. No interference was observed from commercial control materials containing more than 100 compounds. Comparison with a well established LC-MS/MS method using patient specimens (n=45) showed a mean bias 1.3% with Deming regression of slope 1.02, intercept -0.02μmol/L, and a linear correlation coefficient 0.9883. The LC-MS/MS method coupled with turbulent flow online sample cleaning technology described here offers reliable busulfan quantitation in serum or plasma with minimum manual sample preparation and was fully validated for clinical use.     

Development of an LC‐MS method for simultaneous quantitation of amentoflavone and biapigenin,the minor and major biflavones from Hypericum perforatum L., in human plasma and its application to real blood

Introduction – Biflavones of Hypericum perforatum L. are bioactive compounds used in the treatment of inflammation and depression. Determination of amentoflavone and biapigenin from blood is challenging owing to their similar structures and low concentrations. Objective – To develop a rapid, sensitive and accurate method based on liquid‐phase extraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HPLC‐ESI‐MS) for quantification of biflavones in human plasma. Methodology – After extraction from blood, the analytes were subjected to HPLC with an XTerra® MS C₁₈ column and a binary mobile phase consisting of 2% formic acid in water and acetonitrile under isocratic elution conditions, with ESI‐MS detection in the negative ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Results – Both calibration curves showed good linearity within the concentration range 1–500 ng/mL. Limits of detection (S/N = 3) were 0.1 ng for pure substances and the limits of quantitation (S/N = 5) were 1.0 ng/mL from analyte‐spiked serum. The grand mean recovery was 90% from several subsamples of each biflavone. The imprecision (RSD) of peak areas was between 5% (intraday) and 10% (interday) for high concentrations (250 ng/mL) and between 10% (intraday) and 15% (interday) for low concentrations (1 ng/mL). Inaccuracy of the mean was less than 20% at the lower limit of quantitation. Conclusion – The developed and validated method for determination of biflavones from human plasma was effectively applied to pharmacokinetic studies of 13 probands and preliminary results indicate biphasic concentration–time curves. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increased throughput and reduced carryover of mass spectrometry-based proteomics using a high-efficiency nonsplit nanoflow parallel dual-column capillary HPLC system

We report a new design of a fully automated, high-efficiency parallel nonsplit nanoflow capillary HPLC system, coupled on-line with linear ion trap (LTQ) and high performance nanoelectrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (nanoESI LTQ-FTICR MS). The system, intended for high-throughput proteome analysis of complex protein mixtures, notably serum and plasma, consists of two reversed-phase trap columns for large volume sample injection with high speed sample loading and desalting and two reversed-phase analytical capillary columns. Through a nanoscale two-position, 10-port switching valve, the whole system is terminated by a 10 microm i.d. of nanoemitter mounted on the nanoelectrospray source in front of the sampling cone of the LTQ-FTICR MS. Gradient elution to both nanoflow-rate capillary columns is simultaneously delivered by a single HPLC system via two independent binary gradient pump systems. The parallel capillary column approach eliminates the time delays for column regeneration/equilibration since one capillary column is used for separating the sample mixtures and delivering the separated fractions to the MS, while the other capillary column is being regenerated and equilibrated. The reproducibility of retention time and peak intensity of the present automated parallel nanoflow-rate capillary HPLC system is comparable to that obtained using a single column configuration. Replicate injections of tryptic digests indicated that this system provided good reproducibility of retention time and peak area on both columns with average CV values of less than 1.08% and 7.04%, respectively. Throughput was increased to 100% for 2-h LC-MS analysis compared to the single capillary column LC-MS pipeline. Application of this system is demonstrated in a plasma proteomic study. A total of 312 868 MSMS events were acquired and 1564 proteins identified with high confidence (Protein Prophet > or = 0.9, and peptides matched > or = 2). Comparison of a series of plasma fractions run using the single-column LC-MS versus the parallel-column LC-MS demonstrated that parallel-column LC-MS system significantly reduced the sample carryover, improved MS data quality and increased the number of MS/MS sequence scan events.     

Determination of glabridin in human plasma by solid-phase extraction and LC-MS/MS

Glabridin is a major flavonoid included specifically in licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), and has various physiological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We have developed and validated an analytical method for determination of glabridin in human plasma by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and LC-MS/MS. Glabridin was extracted from plasma by SPE using a C8 cartridge and analyzed by LC-MS/MS using mefenamic acid as an internal standard (IS). The analyte were separated by a C18 column on LC, and monitored with a fragment ion of m/z 201 formed from a molecular ion of m/z 323 for glabridin and that of m/z 196 from m/z 240 for IS during negative ion mode with tandem MS detection. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of glabridin was 0.1 ng/mL in plasma, corresponding to 1.25 pg injected on-column. The calibration curves exhibited excellent linearity (r>0.997) between 0.1 and 50 ng/mL. Precision and accuracy were <17 and <+/-7% at LLOQ, and <11 and <+/-5% at other concentrations. Glabridin was recovered >90%, and was stable when kept at 10 degrees C for 72 h, at -20 degrees C until 12 weeks, and after three freeze-thaw cycles. This is the first report on determination of glabridin in body fluids by the selective, sensitive, and reproducible method.     

Quantitative analysis of thymosin alpha1 in human serum by LC-MS/MS

A high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to measure the thymosin alpha 1 (Talpha1) concentration in human serum. Tá1 in human serum was determined by solid phase extraction and reverse phase LC-MS/MS. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system interfaced with the MS/MS system with a Turbo Ion spray interface. Positive ion detection and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode were used for this human serum quantitation. Eight different concentration standards were used to establish the detection range. Six quality control (QC) and 2 matrix blanks were checked by calibration curves performed on the same day. The lower quantitation limit was 0.5 ng/mL Talpha1 in human serum. Calibration curves were established between 0.5 to 100 ng/mL by weighted linear regression. The correlation coefficients for different days were 0.9955 or greater. Quantitation of Talpha1 by the LC-MS/MS method is fast, accurate, and precise.     

Determination of bile acids in biological fluids by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A simple, sensitive, and specific liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of bile acids in human bile has been developed. The bile acids were extracted with a C(18) (octadecyl) reversed-phase column and identified and quantified by simultaneous monitoring of their parent and daughter ions, using the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Identification and quantification of conjugated bile acids in bile was achieved in 5 min. The detection limit was 1 ng, and the determination was linear for concentrations up to 100 ng. The percent recovery of standards made of single conjugated (glycine and taurine) bile acid or of mixture of glycine- or taurine-conjugated cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid averaged 71.73% to 95.92%. The percent recovery of the same standard bile acids was also determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), using the selected ion monitoring mode, and averaged 66% to 96%. A biliary bile acid profile of human gallbladder bile was obtained by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS.The results showed a good correlation between the two techniques and no significant differences between the two methods were observed. The LC-MS/MS method was also used for the analysis of serum, urine, and fecal bile acids. In conclusion, LC-MS/MS is a simple, sensitive, and rapid technique for the analysis of conjugated bile acids in bile and other biological samples. - Perwaiz, S., B. Tuchweber, D. Mignault, T. Gilat, and I. M. Yousef. Determination of bile acids in biological fluids by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 114;-119.     

Quantitation of iptakalim in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

This paper describes a rapid and sensitive analytical method for the quantitation of iptakalim, a novel antihypertensive drug, in human plasma. The method is based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using sildenafil as internal standard. Sample preparation involved liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane-diethyl ether (2:3, v/v) in a basic environment. Chromatography was carried out on an amino column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-water (55:45, v/v, water containing 0.5% formic acid). Detection employed electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple-reaction-monitoring (MRM) mode. The assay was linear in the concentration range of 0.5-100 ng/ml with a lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 0.5 ng/ml. Intra- and inter-day precision (R.S.D.) were <4.5% and <12.0%, respectively and the accuracy (R.E.) was in the range +/-5%. The method was successfully applied to a single oral dose pharmacokinetic study in human volunteers.     

Quantitative analysis of thymosin α1 in human serum by LC-MS/MS

1 high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to measure the thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) concentration in human serum. Tα1 in human serum was determined by solid phase extraction and reverse phase LC-MS/MS. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system interfaced with the MS/MS system with a Turbo Ion spray interface. Positive ion detection and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode were used for this human serum quantitation. Eight different concentration standards were used to establish the detection range. Six quality control (QC) and 2 matrix blanks were checked by calibration curves performed on the same day. The lower quantitation limit was 0.5 ng/mL T α1 in human serum. Calibration curves were established between 0.5 to 100 ng/mL by weighted linear regression. The correlation coefficients for different days were 0.9955 or greater. Quantitation of Tα1 by the LC-MS/MS method is fast accurate, and precise.     

Determination of 1,2-bis (2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA free acid) in rat plasma, urine and feces by liquid chromatography with UV and tandem mass spectrometric detection

BAPTA free acid was identified as the main metabolic product of 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetra(actoxymethyl ester) (BAPTA-AM), a neuroprotective agent in cerebral ischemia, in rats. In this paper, liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (LC-UV) and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods were employed for the determination of BAPTA free acid in rat urine and feces and rat plasma, respectively. By liquid-liquid extraction and LC-UV analysis, a limit of quantitation of 1000 ng/ml using 0.2 ml rat urine for extraction and 250 ng/ml using 1 ml rat fecal homogenate supernatant for extraction could be reached. The assay was linear in the range of 1000-50,000 ng/ml for rat urine and 250-10,000 ng/ml for rat fecal homogenate supernatant. Because the sensitivity of the LC-UV method was apparently insufficient for evaluating the pharmacokinetic profile of BAPTA in rat plasma, a LC-MS/MS method was subsequently developed for the analysis of BAPTA free acid. By protein precipitation and LC-MS/MS analysis, the limit of quantitation was 5 ng/ml using 0.1 ml rat plasma and the linear range was 5.0-500 ng/ml. Both methods were validated and can be used to support a thorough preclinical pharmacokinetic evaluation of BAPTA-AM liposome injection.     

Concerns in the development of an assay for determination of a highly conjugated adsorption-prone compound in human urine

Concerns in pre-analytical handling of urine samples are discussed using a new KDR kinase inhibitor, 3-[5-(4-methanesulfonyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl)-1H-indol-2-yl]-1H-quinolin-2-one (compound A), as an example of a case where high light sensitivity and low analyte recovery (high affinity for container surface) were found. The absence of these problems in plasma samples may be a result of the plasma protein content. Low recovery of the analyte from urine can be remedied by either changing the container or by using additives, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) or non-ionic surfactant Tween-20. In the case of compound A, changing containers (polypropylene versus glass vial) or addition of BSA did bring analyte recovery up to 80%. However, the addition of 0.2% Tween-20 into urine quality controls (QCs) gave more than 95% analyte recovery, indicating effective reduction of analyte loss to the surface of containers. The urine assay using mixed-mode SPE and LC-MS/MS was not affected significantly by introducing Tween-20 into the samples. The mean SPE extraction recovery was 68.4% and matrix suppression of ionization on MS was less than 8% at all analyte concentrations. The linear range of the calibration curve was 0.5-400 ng/mL on PE Sciex API 3000 LC-MS/MS system. The assay intraday accuracy and precision were 92.1-104.8% and <4.2% (%CV), respectively. Urine QC samples, containing 0.2% Tween-20, gave excellent recovery after three cycles of freeze and thaw. Since analyte loss to its urine container surface is not unique to compound A (M. Schwartz, W. Kline, B. Matuszewski, Anal. Chim. Acta 352 (1997) 299-307; A.L. Fisher, E. DePuy, T. Shih, R. Stearns, Y. Lee, K. Gottesdiener, S. Flattery, M. De Smet, B. Keymeulen, D.G. Musson, J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 26 (2001) 739-752), we suggest an evaluation of the potential problem in the early stages of urine assay development to ensure reliable quantitation of analytes. The addition of Tween-20 can serve as a useful analytical tool to other analytes with similar situations.     

Improved mass spectrometric proteomic profiling of the secretome of rat vascular endothelial cells

Serum albumin contamination of cells cultured in vitro significantly impedes the mass spectrometric analysis of proteins secreted by the cells. Here we report a novel washing and culturing technique for rat vascular endothelial cells that considerably reduces the concentration of the commonly used additive for cell culture, bovine serum albumin (BSA), in the secretome of these cells. Cells are rinsed stringently and cultured for 24 h in serum-free media without appreciably impeding cell growth or viability. The percentage of BSA scans identified by tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in stringently rinsed cells (average 13.2%) was significantly lower than either the moderately rinsed or no rinse cell treatments (average 35.2% and 45.2% respectively). Furthermore, the stringent wash treatment allowed the confident identification of a larger portion of the secretome of rat endothelial cells by LC-MS/MS.     

Quantification of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal enantiomers and metabolites by LC-ESI-MS/MS

Lipid peroxidation is a causal factor in multiple diseases including Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and alcoholic liver disease. One of the most studied products of lipid peroxidation, trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), has multiple cell signaling and cytotoxic effects. In this work, we developed an LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of HNE enantiomers, the metabolite trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid, and HNE-glutathione adducts in a single chromatographic run. In this method, (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE are derivatized by (S)-carbidopa to form diastereomers that are separated by a reversed-phase column. This method was successfully validated and tested using respiring rat brain mitochondria that enantioselectively metabolize HNE. Metabolic profiles of HNE biotransformation, including the enantiomeric disposition of HNE, will provide useful biomarker data regarding lipid peroxidation in disease states.