A simple extraction procedure for prostaglandins in human seminal plasma with specific detection by selected ion monitoring

Prostaglandins E and F, and 19-hydroxylated E and F (series I and II) in semen of fertile men. Gas and liquid chromatographic separation with selected ion detection

Low concentrations of prostaglandins (PG) could be related to male clinical infertility althought relevant experimental data are scarce. The aim of this work is to establish reliable seminal PG levels in fertile men by rigorous sample control, to prevent degradation, and by rapid and simple extraction and assay procedures. Single semen samples from healthy fertile men were immediately centrifuged (within 30 min of ejaculation) adding PGF2 alpha D4 to the seminal plasma as internal standard. The samples were next ultrafiltered and the PGs in the ultrafiltrate were derivatized with a mixture of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide and piperidine (1:1) at 60 degrees for 30 min. Optimum gas-liquid chromatographic separation of all of the peaks of interest was achieved on 4 m x 1/4 in. I.D. Dexsil 300 packed columns at 280 degrees. The detection and quantitation of all the peaks of interest depends on the selected ion monitoring of specific masses. The values obtained (in micrograms/ml, range in parentheses) were: PGEs, 63.5 +/- 49.3 (9--164); PGFs, 2.6 +/- 1.92 (0.95--6.63); 19-OH PGEs, 592.6 +/- 312.5 (142.1--1047); and 19-OH PGFs, 12.66 +/- 5.21 (4--19). Individual values for members of both series I and II are also presented. The sample collection and extraction procedures were further checked by high-performance liquid chromatography on a muPorasil column, with individual isolation and collection of all of the PGs, including the 19-OH PGs not previously separted by liquid chromatography.

New derivatives of prostaglandin A1 and specific detection of prostaglandin A's and 190hydroxylated prostaglandin A's in human semen

The derivatization of prostaglandins of the A series with 1:1 mixtures of bis-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide and nitrogen-containing non-aromatic heterocyclics such as piperidine, pyrrolidine, morpholine and hexamethylenimine (1--4 h at 60--70 degrees C) gives new types of derivatives, designated as 11-heterocycle, 9-enol PGA (TMS)3. These derivatives show very simplified and characteristic mass spectral patterns strikingly dominated by a common [M-173]+ fragment ion and easily detectable by selected ion monitoring. This feature allows the concurrent analytical detection of both prostaglandin A's and 19-hydroxy prostaglandin A's in biological samples. In this case 2 ml samples of human semen were extracted by direct ultrafiltration on a Pellicon membrane with a nominal molecular weight limit of 1000. The prostaglandins in the approximately or equal to 1.6 ml of ultrafiltrate thus obtained were recovered in ethyl acetate, derivatized as indicated above and detected by monitoring of the corresponding [M-173]+ ions.