Quantitative determination of piritramide in human plasma and urine by off- and on-line solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

Quantification of piritramide in human colostrum

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

In our university hospital (UZBrussel), one of the options to control post-operative pain after a Caesarean section under general anaesthesia is to administer piritramide by patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA). As no information is available about the possible transfer of this synthetic narcotic analgesic into breastmilk, women are frequently advised not to breastfeed their newborn. A sensitive liquid chromatographic (LC) method coupled with UV detection will therefore be developed and validated for the quantification of piritramide in colostrum samples to evaluate the presence of the analgesic in the first milk.

METHODS

The method included the isolation and concentration of piritramide from colostrum using protein precipitation and solid-phase extraction (SPE) using a mixed-mode cation exchange sorbent. Subsequently, the extracted samples were analysed on a microbore C₁₈ column (1 mm id) and a mobile phase consisting of 15 mm ammonium hydroxide in methanol/tetrahydrofuran/water 50 : 10 : 40 V/V/V.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

As colostrum contains a high amount of proteins, mixed-mode cation exchange SPE was preceded by a 1 : 2 dilution and protein precipitation with phosphoric acid followed by double centrifugation of the samples. The reversed-phase LC-UV method used a mobile phase at alkaline pH to obtain a selective method for piritramide and the internal standard pipamperone. After investigating the validation characteristics (linearity, accuracy, precision and stability), samples from ten patients who had received piritramide via PCIA during the first 48 h post-partum were analysed.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method described for the quantification of the synthetic narcotic analgesic piritramide in colostrum samples. The obtained results suggest that after the administration of this opioid by PCIA to nursing mothers low concentrations of piritramide can be found in the first milk, but are mostly below the limit of quantification of 30 ng/mL.

Acute human self-poisoning with imidacloprid compound: a neonicotinoid insecticide

Background

Deliberate self-poisoning with older pesticides such as organophosphorus compounds are commonly fatal and a serious public health problem in the developing world. The clinical consequences of self-poisoning with newer pesticides are not well described. Such information may help to improve clinical management and inform pesticide regulators of their relative toxicity. This study reports the clinical outcomes and toxicokinetics of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid following acute self-poisoning in humans.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Demographic and clinical data were prospectively recorded in patients with imidacloprid exposure in three hospitals in Sri Lanka. Blood samples were collected when possible for quantification of imidacloprid concentration. There were 68 patients (61 self-ingestions and 7 dermal exposures) with exposure to imidacloprid. Of the self-poisoning patients, the median time to presentation was 4 hours (IQR 2.3–6.0) and median amount ingested was 15 mL (IQR 10–50 mL). Most patients only developed mild symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache and diarrhoea. One patient developed respiratory failure needing mechanical ventilation while another was admitted to intensive care due to prolonged sedation. There were no deaths. Median admission imidacloprid concentration was 10.58 ng/L; IQR: 3.84–15.58 ng/L, Range: 0.02–51.25 ng/L. Changes in the concentration of imidacloprid in serial blood samples were consistent with prolonged absorption and/or saturable elimination.

Conclusions

Imidacloprid generally demonstrates low human lethality even in large ingestions. Respiratory failure and reduced level of consciousness were the most serious complications, but these were uncommon. Substitution of imidacloprid for organophosphorus compounds in areas where the incidence of self-poisoning is high may help reduce deaths from self-poisoning.

Rapid identification of acylated flavonol tetraglycosides in oolong teas using HPLC-MSn

A method was developed to separate and identify acylated flavonol tetraglycosides (AFTGs) by combining isocratic HPLC with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry. Better separation was obtained for oolong tea infusion using a manually packed Sephadex LH-20 mini-column than with an ACCUBOND ODS solid-phase column. Seven unknown and one known AFTGs were found in oolong teas prepared by various semi-fermentation processes and their structures were identified by mass spectrometry. According to the analyses of diverse oolong teas including Dongding Oolong, Tieguanyin, Wuyi Oolong, Fenghuang Oolong, Gaoshan Shibi, Laocong Shuixian and Baihao Oolong, AFTGs seemed to be universally present, and each oolong tea could be classified into one of three groups (Dongding Oolong, Tieguanyin and Wuyi Oolong) on the basis of its AFTGs profile. The results suggest that the developed method is rapid and sensitive for identifying natural compounds.

Sample preparation

A panorama of sample preparation methods has been composed from 481 references, with a highlight of some promising methods fast developed during recent years and a somewhat brief introduction on most of the well-developed methods. All the samples were commonly referred to molecular composition, being extendable to particles including cells but not to organs, tissues and larger bodies. Some criteria to evaluate or validate a sample preparation method were proposed for reference. Strategy for integration of several methods to prepare complicated protein samples for proteomic studies was illustrated and discussed.

Principles, developments and applications of on-line coupling of extraction with chromatography

On-line coupling of extraction and chromatographic separation allows the whole analysis to be performed in a closed system. On-line systems are particularly useful when the analytes are labile, the amount of sample is limited, or very high sensitivity is required. Many on-line systems have been developed both for liquid and for solid samples. This review discusses the different instruments that have been constructed and the factors that need to be considered in the coupling. Selected illustrative applications are described to illustrate the potential of the on-line systems.

Recent advances in high-throughput quantitative bioanalysis by LC–MS/MS

Liquid chromatography linked to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has played an important role in pharmacokinetics and metabolism studies at various drug development stages since its introduction to the pharmaceutical industry. This article reviews the most recent advances in sample preparation, separation, and the mass spectrometric aspects of high-throughput quantitative bioanalysis of drug and metabolites in biological matrices. Newly introduced techniques such as ultra-performance liquid chromatography with small particles (sub-2 microm) and monolithic chromatography offer improvements in speed, resolution and sensitivity compared to conventional chromatographic techniques. Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) on silica columns with low aqueous/high organic mobile phase is emerging as a valuable supplement to the reversed-phase LC-MS/MS. Sample preparation formatted to 96-well plates has allowed for semi-automation of off-line sample preparation techniques, significantly impacting throughput. On-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) utilizing column-switching techniques is rapidly gaining acceptance in bioanalytical applications to reduce both time and labor required to produce bioanalytical results. Extraction sorbents for on-line SPE extend to an array of media including large particles for turbulent flow chromatography, restricted access materials (RAM), monolithic materials, and disposable cartridges utilizing traditional packings such as those used in Spark Holland systems. In the end, this paper also discusses recent studies of matrix effect in LC-MS/MS analysis and how to reduce/eliminate matrix effect in method development and validation.

New materials in sorptive extraction techniques for polar compounds

This paper provides an overview of the new developments in material and format technology that improve the extraction of polar compounds in several extraction techniques. They mainly include solid-phase extraction, but there are also other sorptive extraction techniques, such as stir bar sorptive extraction and solid-phase microextraction that use either fibers or in-tube devices. We focus on new synthesised materials that are both commercially available and "in-house". Most novel materials that enhance the extraction of polar compounds are hydrophilic and have large specific surface area; however, we also cover other leading technologies, such as sol-gel or monolith. We describe the morphological and chemical properties of these new sorbents so that we can better understand them and relate them to their capability of retaining polar compounds. We discuss the extraction efficiency for polar compounds when these polymers are used as sorptive material and compare them to other materials. We also mention some representative examples of applications.

Quantitative determination of total methamphetamine and active metabolites in rat tissue by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection

High-throughput liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS) methodology for the determination of methamphetamine (METH), amphetamine (AMP), 4-hydroxymethamphetamine (4-OH-METH), and 4-hydroxyamphetamine (4-OH-AMP) was developed and validated using simple trichloroacetic acid sample treatment. The method was validated in rat serum, brain, and testis. Lower limits-of-quantitation (LOQ) for METH and AMP were 1 ng x mL(-1) using positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The accuracy of the method was within 25% of the actual values over a wide range of analyte concentrations. The within-assay precision was better than 12% (coefficient of variation). The method was linear over a wide dynamic range (0.3-1000 ng x mL(-1)). Quantitation was possible in all 3 matrices using only serum standards because of minimal matrix-associated ion effects or the use of an internal standard. Finally, the LC-MS/MS method was used to determine serum, brain, and testis METH and AMP concentrations during a subcutaneous infusion (5.6 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) of METH in rats. Concentrations of 4-OH-AMP and 4-OH-METH were below the LOQ in experimental samples. The bias introduced by using serum calibrators for the determination of METH and AMP concentrations in testis and brain was less than 8% and insignificant relative to the interanimal variability.

Recent applications of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry in forensic science

Recent years have seen the development of powerful technologies that have provided forensic scientists with new analytical capabilities, unimaginable only a few years ago. With liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in particular, there has been an explosion in the range of new products available for solving many analytical problems, especially for those applications in which non-volatile, labile and/or high molecular weight compounds are being analysed. The aim of this article is to present an overview of some of the most recent applications of LC-MS (/MS) to forensic analysis. To this end, our survey encompasses the period from 2002 to 2005 and focuses on trace analysis (including chemical warfare agents, explosives and dyes), the use of alternative specimens for monitoring drugs of abuse, systematic toxicological analysis and high-throughput analysis. It is not the intention to provide an exhaustive review of the literature but rather to provide the reader with a 'flavour' of the versatility and utility of the technique within the forensic sciences.