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Ensuring biological sample integrity from collection to analysis for LC–MS workflows: case studies illustrating challenges in clinical trials. Bioanalysis 2019; 11:1859-1866. [DOI: 10.4155/bio-2019-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In quantitative bioanalysis, ensuring sample integrity through the life cycle of a sample is crucial for providing reliable data. Sponsors must develop proper collection procedures to ensure high sample quality. Collection procedures should mitigate sample variability and stability concerns. Sample stability concerns can be managed with appropriate stabilization approaches like the addition of preservative, environmental exposure (temperature, humidity, light controls) and timely analysis with more frequent shipping. It is important that the bioanalytical scientist communicates specific needs to internal operations groups, the central laboratory and clinical sites. In large global trials, this is logistically challenging given the large number of sites and the potential language barriers. Several case studies presented below will illustrate logistical challenges with unstable compounds and unique matrices for LC–MS/MS workflows.
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Karmaus AL, Toole CM, Filer DL, Lewis KC, Martin MT. High-Throughput Screening of Chemical Effects on Steroidogenesis Using H295R Human Adrenocortical Carcinoma Cells. Toxicol Sci 2016; 150:323-32. [PMID: 26781511 PMCID: PMC4809454 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfw002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of steroidogenesis by environmental chemicals can result in altered hormone levels causing adverse reproductive and developmental effects. A high-throughput assay using H295R human adrenocortical carcinoma cells was used to evaluate the effect of 2060 chemical samples on steroidogenesis via high-performance liquid chromatography followed by tandem mass spectrometry quantification of 10 steroid hormones, including progestagens, glucocorticoids, androgens, and estrogens. The study employed a 3 stage screening strategy. The first stage established the maximum tolerated concentration (MTC; ≥ 70% viability) per sample. The second stage quantified changes in hormone levels at the MTC whereas the third stage performed concentration-response (CR) on a subset of samples. At all stages, cells were prestimulated with 10 µM forskolin for 48 h to induce steroidogenesis followed by chemical treatment for 48 h. Of the 2060 chemical samples evaluated, 524 samples were selected for 6-point CR screening, based in part on significantly altering at least 4 hormones at the MTC. CR screening identified 232 chemical samples with concentration-dependent effects on 17β-estradiol and/or testosterone, with 411 chemical samples showing an effect on at least one hormone across the steroidogenesis pathway. Clustering of the concentration-dependent chemical-mediated steroid hormone effects grouped chemical samples into 5 distinct profiles generally representing putative mechanisms of action, including CYP17A1 and HSD3B inhibition. A distinct pattern was observed between imidazole and triazole fungicides suggesting potentially distinct mechanisms of action. From a chemical testing and prioritization perspective, this assay platform provides a robust model for high-throughput screening of chemicals for effects on steroidogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes L Karmaus
- *National Center for Computational Toxicology, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina;
| | | | - Dayne L Filer
- *National Center for Computational Toxicology, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | | | - Matthew T Martin
- *National Center for Computational Toxicology, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina;
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Jeanneret F, Tonoli D, Rossier MF, Saugy M, Boccard J, Rudaz S. Evaluation of steroidomics by liquid chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry as a powerful analytical strategy for measuring human steroid perturbations. J Chromatogr A 2015. [PMID: 26195035 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2015.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This review presents the evolution of steroid analytical techniques, including gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), immunoassay (IA) and targeted liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and it evaluates the potential of extended steroid profiles by a metabolomics-based approach, namely steroidomics. Steroids regulate essential biological functions including growth and reproduction, and perturbations of the steroid homeostasis can generate serious physiological issues; therefore, specific and sensitive methods have been developed to measure steroid concentrations. GC-MS measuring several steroids simultaneously was considered the first historical standard method for analysis. Steroids were then quantified by immunoassay, allowing a higher throughput; however, major drawbacks included the measurement of a single compound instead of a panel and cross-reactivity reactions. Targeted LC-MS methods with selected reaction monitoring (SRM) were then introduced for quantifying a small steroid subset without the problems of cross-reactivity. The next step was the integration of metabolomic approaches in the context of steroid analyses. As metabolomics tends to identify and quantify all the metabolites (i.e., the metabolome) in a specific system, appropriate strategies were proposed for discovering new biomarkers. Steroidomics, defined as the untargeted analysis of the steroid content in a sample, was implemented in several fields, including doping analysis, clinical studies, in vivo or in vitro toxicology assays, and more. This review discusses the current analytical methods for assessing steroid changes and compares them to steroidomics. Steroids, their pathways, their implications in diseases and the biological matrices in which they are analysed will first be described. Then, the different analytical strategies will be presented with a focus on their ability to obtain relevant information on the steroid pattern. The future technical requirements for improving steroid analysis will also be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Jeanneret
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Human Protein Sciences Department, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David Tonoli
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Human Protein Sciences Department, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michel F Rossier
- Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, Geneva, Switzerland; Institut Central (ICHV), Hôpital du Valais, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Martial Saugy
- Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, University Center of Legal Medicine, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Julien Boccard
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Serge Rudaz
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Yan Y, Rempel DL, Holy TE, Gross ML. Mass spectrometry combinations for structural characterization of sulfated-steroid metabolites. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2014; 25:869-79. [PMID: 24658800 PMCID: PMC4449735 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-014-0836-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Revised: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 01/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Steroid conjugates, which often occur as metabolites, are challenging to characterize. One application is female-mouse urine, where steroid conjugates serve as important ligands for the pheromone-sensing neurons. Although the two with the highest abundance in mouse urine were previously characterized with mass spectrometry (MS) and NMR to be sulfated steroids, many more exist but remain structurally unresolved. Given that their physical and chemical properties are similar, they are likely to have a sulfated steroid ring structure. Because these compounds occur in trace amounts in mouse urine and elsewhere, their characterization by NMR will be difficult. Thus, MS methods become the primary approach for determining structure. Here, we show that a combination of MS tools is effective for determining the structures of sulfated steroids. Using 4-pregnene analogs, we explored high-resolving power MS (HR-MS) to determine chemical formulae; HD exchange MS (HDX-MS) to determine number of active, exchangeable hydrogens (e.g., OH groups); methoxyamine hydrochloride (MOX) derivatization MS, or reactive desorption electrospray ionization with hydroxylamine to determine the number of carbonyl groups; and tandem MS (MS(n)), high-resolution tandem MS (HRMS/MS), and GC-MS to obtain structural details of the steroid ring. From the fragmentation studies, we deduced three major fragmentation rules for this class of sulfated steroids. We also show that a combined MS approach is effective for determining structure of steroid metabolites, with important implications for targeted metabolomics in general and for the study of mouse social communication in particular.
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Zheng Z, Tang Y, Lv H, Xu J, Zhao H, Xie Q, Qiu Z, Chen H, Wang H. Determination of Meserine, a new candidate for Alzheimer's disease in mice brain by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study. Anal Bioanal Chem 2014; 406:3451-8. [PMID: 24756818 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-014-7779-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for determination of Meserine ((-)-meptazinol phenylcarbamate), a novel potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), was developed, validated, and applied to a pharmacokinetic study in mice brain. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1 ng mL(-1) and the linear range was 1-1,000 ng mL(-1). The analyte was eluted on a Zorbax SB-Aq column (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 μm) with the mobile phase composed of methanol and water (70:30, v/v, aqueous phase contained 10 mM ammonium formate and 0.3% formic acid) using isocratic elution, and monitored by positive electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The flow rate was 0.25 mL min(-1). The injection volume was 5 μL and total run time was 4 min. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intraday and interday variation was 2.49-7.81 and 3.01-7.67%, respectively. All analytes were stable after 4 h at room temperature and 6 h in autosampler. The extraction recoveries of Meserine in brain homogenate were over 90%. The main brain pharmacokinetic parameters obtained after intranasal administration were T max = 0.05 h, C max = 462.0 ± 39.7 ng g(-1), T 1/2 = 0.4 h, and AUC(0-∞) = 283.1 ± 9.1 ng h g(-1). Moreover, Meserine was distributed rapidly and widely into brain, heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissue. The method is validated and could be applied to the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study of Meserine in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxi Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 280 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
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