UPLC–MS/MS assay for the simultaneous determination of ethinyl estradiol, norgestimate and 17-Desacetyl norgestimate at low pg/mL in human plasma

4-Azido-7-nitrobenzoxadiazole as innovative clickable fluorescence probe for trace and selective quantification of ethinylestradiol in human plasma

Quantification of ethinylestradiol (EE) in biological matrices is challenging as it is a very potent drug with a very low Cmax (75 pg.ml-1 ). Despite the high sensitivity of fluorometric methods, the detection of EE was confined because its structure exhibited very limited fluorescence. Therefore, it must be derivatized first using a fluorogenic agent to produce a more potent fluorescence derivative to achieve the desired ultrasensitive bioanalysis. Here, for the first time, we proposed a promising click fluorescent probe, 4-azido-7-nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD-AZ) to react with the alkyne group of EE, with the help of copper sulphate and l-ascorbic acid to give a highly fluorescent and stable 1,2,3-triazole derivative. Density functional theory calculation revealed how the triazole formation affects the quantum yield and fluorescence of click reaction product when compared with NBD-AZ. The resulting triazole exhibited a strong signal at a wavelength of 540 nm after excitation at 470 nm. Reaction parameters impacting the intensity of fluorescence were cautiously studied and optimized. The suggested approach has shown outstanding performance, high linearity (25-300 pg.ml-1 ) and a low detection limit of 7.5 pg.ml-1 . The enhanced sensitivity and selectivity were exploited for analyzing EE in plasma using liquid-liquid extraction for samples cleaning up without interference from any biological components and with a mean % recovery of 100.13 ± 0.39. Accuracy, sensitivity, selectivity, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness make this approach a convincing, promising, and appealing alternative to the reported analytical methods for EE bioanalysis in different matrices.

Randomized, double-blind, two-way crossover bioequivalence and adhesion study, in healthy women, of a transdermal contraceptive patch with a newly sourced adhesive component at the end of shelf life vs. the EVRA patch at the beginning of shelf life

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate bioequivalence, based on norelgestromin (NGMN) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) plasma concentrations, and adhesion of a transdermal contraceptive patch containing a newly sourced adhesive component (test) at end of shelf life (EOSL) vs. the marketed EVRA patch (reference) at beginning of shelf life (BOSL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this randomized, double-blind, two-way crossover study, healthy women received a single, 7-day application of test and reference patches in 4 sequences: two 11-day treatment periods separated by a 21-day washout. Assessments included NGMN and EE pharmacokinetics (PK), adhesion (per European Medicines Agency (EMA) 5-point scale), irritation potential and application-site reactions, and tolerability. Patches were bioequivalent if 90% CIs of geometric mean ratios (GMRs) of test/reference for Cmax, AUC168h, AUC0-tlast, and AUC∞ were 80 - 125%. Patch adhesion was comparable if ratios of geometric mean cumulative adhesion percentages were ≥ 90%.

RESULTS

68 women were randomized, and 62 completed both treatments. 55 and 59 participants in the reference and test group, respectively, had patch adhesion ≥ 80% (EMA score 0 - 1) at end of treatment. Bioequivalence was demonstrated: GMRs for pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters ranged from 102.76 - 105.57% for NGMN and 93.78 - 94.80% for EE, and associated 90% CIs were fully within the bioequivalence acceptance range (80 - 125%) for both. The patches had comparable adhesion properties (GMR, 101.4% (90% CI: 99.2 - 103.6)) and incidences of treatment-emergent adverse events.

CONCLUSION

NGMN-EE transdermal test patch at EOSL was bioequivalent to the marketed patch at BOSL, supporting widening the product's shelf-life specification. Adhesive properties and safety profiles were comparable between patches.

Deep eutectic solvent-based magnetic colloidal gel assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction: A simple and rapid method for the determination of sex hormones in cosmetic skin care toners

A simple rapid and efficient deep eutectic solvent-based magnetic colloidal gel (DES-MCG) assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) method followed by high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) was established for determination of four sex hormones (including ethinylestradiol, norgestrel, megestrol acetate and medroxyprogesterone acetate) in cosmetic skin care toners. The DES-MCG with the desirable advantages of high adsorbing ability was prepared by combining choline chloride/urea deep eutectic solvent and magnetic multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MMWCNTs). The synthesized DES-MCG was characterized using fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The cosmetic skin care toners were concentrated by a rotary evaporator and the obtained solutions were further purified by DES-MCG assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for efficient optimization of the main variables in the extraction procedure. Under the optimized conditions, method detection limits and method quantitation limits were in the range of 1.2-6.6 ng mL^-1 and 4.4-26.6 ng mL^-1, respectively. The recoveries of the four sex hormones in different cosmetic skin care toners ranged from 80.1% to 118.8% and the precisions were no more than 0.35%. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of sex hormones in cosmetic skin care toners.

Sex hormones and genetic variants in hormone metabolic pathways associated with the risk of colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE

The different incidence of colorectal cancer between the sexes suggests that sex hormones may be involved in the susceptibility to colorectal cancer. The association between sex hormones and genetic variants in hormone metabolic pathways and the colorectal cancer risk remains unclear.

METHODS

We detected sex hormone levels in plasma from colorectal cancer patients and controls in males by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). We evaluated the clinical significance of sex hormones on colorectal cancer diagnosis with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The role of genetic variants in hormone metabolic pathways in the colorectal cancer risk was assessed by a logistic regression model. The biological functions were detected by luciferase reporter assays and cell behavior experiments.

RESULTS

We found that 2-methoxyestrone (2-MeO-E1) was highly expressed in cases (P_FDR = 3.48 × 10^-19). The expression of 2-MeO-E1 in plasma showed improved accuracy for predicting colorectal cancer (AUC = 0.88). In the 2-MeO-E1 metabolic pathway, rs165599 in COMT was significantly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (P = 0.009). Mechanistically, we found that the rs165599 G allele could decrease the binding ability of miR-22-3p to the COMT 3'-UTR. Furthermore, knockdown of COMT inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to show that 2-MeO-E1 and a genetic variant in COMT contribute to the susceptibility to colorectal cancer. These results shed light on the different incidence of colorectal cancer between the sexes.

Comparison of a transdermal contraceptive patch with a newly sourced adhesive component versus EVRA patch: A double-blind, randomized, bioequivalence and adhesion study in healthy women

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the bioequivalence of norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol (NGMN-EE) and adhesion of a transdermal contraceptive patch containing a newly sourced adhesive component (test) compared with the marketed (reference) patch.

STUDY DESIGN

In this randomized, double-blind, 2-way crossover study, healthy women received single 7-day application of both test and reference patches. Treatment phase included two treatment periods of 11 days each separated by a 21-day washout period starting from day of patch removal (day 8) of treatment period 1. Assessments included NGMN and EE pharmacokinetics (PK), adhesion using European Medicines Agency (EMA) 5-point scale, irritation potential and application-site reactions, and safety. Patches were bioequivalent if 90% CIs of ratios of means of test/reference for AUC_168h, AUC_inf, and C_ss fell within 80-125%. Patch adhesion was comparable if ratios of mean cumulative adhesion percentage values of test/reference were ≥90.0%.

RESULTS

Seventy women were randomized; 57 completed both treatments with ≥80% adhesion (score 0-1). Bioequivalence of test and reference patches was demonstrated as 90% CI of ratio of geometric means for AUC_168h, AUC_inf, and C_ss for NGMN and EE fell within 80-125%. Both patches had similar adhesion properties (geometric mean ratio was 100.3% [90% CI, 93.2-107.9]). Similar rates of mild-to-moderate itching (11% vs 10%) and erythema events (79% vs 74%) were reported for test and reference patches, respectively, on day 8.

CONCLUSIONS

The test patch with the newly sourced adhesive component is bioequivalent to the currently marketed NGMN-EE transdermal patch and has similar adhesion and irritation potential.

IMPLICATIONS STATEMENT

The norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol transdermal patch containing a newly sourced adhesive component is bioequivalent to the currently marketed patch for both active moieties. Both patches had similar adhesion, irritation potential, and safety profiles.

Determination of Ethinyl Estradiol and Levonorgestrel in Human Plasma with Prednisone as Internal Standard Using Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Objective:

Ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel as a combination of oral contraceptive drugs have very low dosage levels; hence, a highly sensitive and selective method of using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) is needed.

Materials and Methods:

This method was developed using prednisone as an internal standard, thus the purpose of this research was to get the optimum condition. The analytical method had been fully validated according to the European Medicines Agency guidelines, 2011. A reverse-phase chromatography separation was performed on ACQUITY UPLC ethylene bridged hybrid C₁₈ column (1.7 μm, 2.1 × 50mm), eluted at a 0.3 mL/min flow rate under a gradient of mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile within 5 min. Sample preparation used protein precipitation followed by liquid–liquid extraction. Quantification analysis was performed by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization in positive-ion mode. The multiple reaction monitoring was set at m/z: 530.16 → 171.08 for ethinyl estradiol derivatized by dansyl chloride; m/z: 313.16 → 245.10 for levonorgestrel; and m/z: 359.10 → 147.04 for prednisone.

Results:

The validated method was accurate, precise, and sensitive with a lower limit of quantification at 5 and 100 pg/mL for ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel, respectively.

Accurate measurement of androgen after androgen esters: problems created by ex vivo esterase effects and LC-MS/MS interference

BACKGROUND

Ex vivo androgen prodrug conversion by blood esterases after oral androgen ester administration may result in an overestimation of the measured blood androgens.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether blood collection tubes with esterase inhibitors decreased the conversion of testosterone undecanoate (TU) and dimethandrolone undecanoate (DMAU) to their active metabolites, testosterone (T), and dimethandrolone (DMA), providing a more accurate assessment of circulating T/DMA levels.

METHODS

Blood was collected in tubes with/without esterase inhibitors from: (i) four healthy and four hypogonadal men receiving no androgens and spiked ex vivo with TU/DMAU; (ii) four men taking oral TU (Andriol® ); and (iii) eight hypogonadal men dosed with oral 316 mg TU and 15 healthy men with 200 mg DMAU. T/DMA levels were measured by LC-MS/MS.

RESULTS

Sodium fluoride (NaF, an esterase inhibitor) decreased measured T levels by 14.2% in men not receiving TU. Increasing amounts of TU/DMAU added to blood collected into plain tubes resulted in a concentration-dependent overestimation of T/DMA that was reduced by collecting blood into NaF tubes (by 30-85%), and keeping samples at 4 °C and minimizing time prior to centrifugation. After oral TU/DMAU administration to men, when TU/DMAU levels were >15/10 ng/mL, respectively, blood collected in NaF tubes yielded lower measured T concentrations by 15-30% and DMA by 22% due to an additional inhibitory effect of NaF on blood esterases.

CONCLUSION

NaF directly lowers plasma T/DMA levels measured by LC-MS/MS and also inhibits blood esterase activity. Overestimation of T/DMA in blood collected in tubes without NaF after oral TU/DMAU administration is important for pharmacokinetics studies in drug development clinical trials but may have limited impact in clinical practice/utilization because the differences between measured and true androgen values are modest and the wide therapeutic androgen efficacy ranges obviate the need for highly accurate androgen measurements during therapy.

Simultaneous determination of etonogestrel and ethinyl estradiol in human plasma by UPLC-MS/MS and its pharmacokinetic study

A selective, sensitive and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of etonogestrel (ENG) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) in human plasma. The analytes and their deuterated internal standards, ENG-d7 and EE-d4, were extracted from plasma samples by solid-phase extraction on HyperSep™ Retain PEP cartridges. The chromatographic analysis was performed on an Acquity UPLC HSS Cyano column, 100 Å (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm), column using gradient mobile phase, acetonitrile and 2.0 mm ammonium trifluoroacetate at 0-1.7 min (65:35, v/v) and 1.8-2.7 min (95:5, v/v) with 0.250 mL/min flow rate. Analytes and IS protonated precursor → product ion transitions (ENG, m/z 325.2 → 257.2; EE, m/z 530.2 → 171.2; ENG-d7, m/z 332.2 → 263.2; EE-d4, m/z 534.2 → 171.2) were monitored on a Triple Quadrupole Mass spectrometer (TQMS), operating in multiple reaction monitoring and positive ionization mode. The calibration curves were established at 10.00-2500 pg/mL for ENG and 1.500-150.0 pg/mL for EE with a correlation coefficient (r² ) ≥0.9996 for both. The validated method was successfully applied to support a bioequivalence study of 0.15 mg ENG and EE 0.03 mg tablet formulation, administered in 24 healthy Indian females. Method reliability was assessed by reanalysis of 94 incurred study samples.