Mass Spectrometry Imaging Techniques: Non-Ambient and Ambient Ionization Approaches

Molecular information can be acquired from sample surfaces in real time using a revolutionary molecular imaging technique called mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). The technique can concurrently provide high spatial resolution information on the spatial distribution and relative proportion of many different compounds. Thus, many scientists have been drawn to the innovative capabilities of the MSI approach, leading to significant focus in various fields during the past few decades. This review describes the sampling protocol, working principle and applications of a few non-ambient and ambient ionization mass spectrometry imaging techniques. The non-ambient techniques include secondary ionization mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, while the ambient techniques include desorption electrospray ionization, laser ablation electrospray ionization, probe electro-spray ionization, desorption atmospheric pressure photo-ionization and femtosecond laser desorption ionization. The review additionally addresses the advantages and disadvantages of ambient and non-ambient MSI techniques in relation to their suitability, particularly for biological samples used in tissue diagnostics. Last but not least, suggestions and conclusions are made regarding the challenges and future prospects of MSI.

The liquid micro junction-surface sampling probe (LMJ-SSP); a versatile ambient mass spectrometry interface

Ambient ionization methods have become important tools in mass spectrometry. The LMJ-SSP can significantly simplify/reduce lengthy sample preparation requirements associated with mass spectrometry analysis. Samples may be introduced through direct contact, insertion and droplet injection, enabling applications from drug discovery and surface analysis to tissue profiling and metabolic mapping. This review examines the underlying principles associated with the LMJ-SSP interface and highlights modifications of the original design that have extended its capability. We summarize different application areas that have exploited the method and describe potential future directions for the adaptable ambient ionization source.

Spatially resolved absolute quantitation in thin tissue by mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become the de facto tool for routine quantitative analysis of biomolecules. MS is increasingly being used to reveal the spatial distribution of proteins, metabolites, and pharmaceuticals in tissue and interest in this area has led to a number of novel spatially resolved MS technologies. Most spatially resolved MS measurements are qualitative in nature due to a myriad of potential biases, such as sample heterogeneity, sampling artifacts, and ionization effects. As applications of spatially resolved MS in the pharmacological and clinical fields increase, demand has become high for quantitative MS imaging and profiling data. As a result, several varied technologies now exist that provide differing levels of spatial and quantitative information. This review provides an overview of MS profiling and imaging technologies that have demonstrated quantitative analysis from tissue. Focus is given on the fundamental processes affecting quantitative analysis in an array of MS imaging and profiling technologies and methods to address these biases.Graphical abstract.

Direct Liquid Extraction and Ionization Techniques for Understanding Multimolecular Environments in Biological Systems (Secondary Publication)

A combination of direct liquid extraction using a small volume of solvent and electrospray ionization allows the rapid measurement of complex chemical components in biological samples and visualization of their distribution in tissue sections. This review describes the development of such techniques and their application to biological research since the first reports in the early 2000s. An overview of electrospray ionization, ion suppression in samples, and the acceleration of specific chemical reactions in charged droplets is also presented. Potential future applications for visualizing multimolecular environments in biological systems are discussed.

Integration of Ion Mobility MSE after Fully Automated, Online, High-Resolution Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Micro-Liquid Chromatography

Direct analysis by mass spectrometry (imaging) has become increasingly deployed in preclinical and clinical research due to its rapid and accurate readouts. However, when it comes to biomarker discovery or histopathological diagnostics, more sensitive and in-depth profiling from localized areas is required. We developed a comprehensive, fully automated online platform for high-resolution liquid extraction surface analysis (HR-LESA) followed by micro–liquid chromatography (LC) separation and a data-independent acquisition strategy for untargeted and low abundant analyte identification directly from tissue sections. Applied to tissue sections of rat pituitary, the platform demonstrated improved spatial resolution, allowing sample areas as small as 400 μm to be studied, a major advantage over conventional LESA. The platform integrates an online buffer exchange and washing step for removal of salts and other endogenous contamination that originates from local tissue extraction. Our carry over–free platform showed high reproducibility, with an interextraction variability below 30%. Another strength of the platform is the additional selectivity provided by a postsampling gas-phase ion mobility separation. This allowed distinguishing coeluted isobaric compounds without requiring additional separation time. Furthermore, we identified untargeted and low-abundance analytes, including neuropeptides deriving from the pro-opiomelanocortin precursor protein and localized a specific area of the pituitary gland (i.e., adenohypophysis) known to secrete neuropeptides and other small metabolites related to development, growth, and metabolism. This platform can thus be applied for the in-depth study of small samples of complex tissues with histologic features of ∼400 μm or more, including potential neuropeptide markers involved in many diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, bulimia, and anorexia nervosa.

Compound Property Optimization in Drug Discovery Using Quantitative Surface Sampling Micro Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Surface sampling micro liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SSμLC-MS/MS) was explored as a quantitative tissue distribution technique for probing compound properties in drug discovery. A method was developed for creating standard curves using surrogate tissue sections from blank tissue homogenate spiked with compounds. The resulting standard curves showed good linearity and high sensitivity. The accuracy and precision of standards met acceptance criteria of ±30%. A new approach was proposed based on an experimental and mathematical method for tissue extraction efficiency evaluation by means of consecutively sampling a location on tissue twice by SSμLC-MS/MS. The observed extraction efficiency ranged from 69% to 82% with acceptable variation for the test compounds. Good agreement in extraction efficiency was observed between surrogate tissue sections and incurred tissue sections. This method was successfully applied to two case studies in which tissue distribution was instrumental in advancing project teams' understanding of compound properties.

Extraction efficiency and implications for absolute quantitation of propranolol in mouse brain, liver and kidney tissue sections using droplet-based liquid microjunction surface sampling high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Currently, the absolute quantitation aspects of droplet-based surface sampling for tissue analysis using a fully automated autosampler/high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) system have not been fully evaluated. Knowledge of extraction efficiency and its reproducibility is required to judge the potential of the method for absolute quantitation of analytes from tissue sections.

METHODS

Adjacent tissue sections of propranolol-dosed mouse brain (10-μm-thick), kidney (10-μm-thick) and liver (8-, 10-, 16- and 24-μm-thick) were obtained. The absolute concentration of propranolol was determined in tissue punches from serial sections using standard bulk tissue extraction protocols and subsequent HPLC separations and MS/MS analysis. These values were used to determine propranolol extraction efficiency from the tissues with the droplet-based surface sampling approach.

RESULTS

Extraction efficiency of propranolol using 10-μm-thick brain, kidney and liver tissues using droplet-based surface sampling varied between ~45 and 63%. The extraction efficiency decreased from ~65% to ~36% with liver thickness increasing from 8 μm to 24 μm. Selecting half of the samples as standards, the precision and accuracy of propranolol concentrations were determined for the other half of the samples that were employed as a quality control data set. The resulting precision (±15%) and accuracy (±3%) were within acceptable limits.

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitation of adjacent mouse tissue sections of different organs and of various thicknesses by droplet-based surface sampling in comparison with bulk extraction of tissue punches showed that extraction efficiency was incomplete using the former method, and that it depended on the organ and tissue thickness. However, once extraction efficiency was determined and applied, the droplet-based approach provided satisfactory quantitation accuracy and precision for assay validations. Thus, once the extraction efficiency was calibrated for a given tissue type, tissue thickness and drug, the droplet-based approach provides a non-labour-intensive and high-throughput means to acquire spatially resolved quantitative analysis of multiple samples of the same type. Published in 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Online, Absolute Quantitation of Propranolol from Spatially Distinct 20- and 40-μm Dissections of Brain, Liver, and Kidney Thin Tissue Sections by Laser Microdissection-Liquid Vortex Capture-Mass Spectrometry

Spatial resolved quantitation of chemical species in thin tissue sections by mass spectrometric methods has been constrained by the need for matrix-matched standards or other arduous calibration protocols and procedures to mitigate matrix effects (e.g., spatially varying ionization suppression). Reported here is the use of laser "cut and drop" sampling with a laser microdissection-liquid vortex capture electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LMD-LVC/ESI-MS/MS) system for online and absolute quantitation of propranolol in mouse brain, kidney, and liver thin tissue sections of mice administered with the drug at a 7.5 mg/kg dose, intravenously. In this procedure either 20 μm × 20 μm or 40 μm × 40 μm tissue microdissections were cut and dropped into the flowing solvent of the capture probe. During transport to the ESI source drug related material was completely extracted from the tissue into the solvent, which contained a known concentration of propranolol-d7 as an internal standard. This allowed absolute quantitation to be achieved with an external calibration curve generated from standards containing the same fixed concentration of propranolol-d7 and varied concentrations of propranolol. Average propranolol concentrations determined with the laser "cut and drop" sampling method closely agreed with concentration values obtained from 2.3 mm diameter tissue punches from serial sections that were extracted and quantified by HPLC/ESI-MS/MS measurements. In addition, the relative abundance of hydroxypropranolol glucuronide metabolites were recorded and found to be consistent with previous findings.

Quantitation of repaglinide and metabolites in mouse whole-body thin tissue sections using droplet-based liquid microjunction surface sampling-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Herein, quantitation aspects of a fully automated autosampler/HPLC-MS/MS system applied for unattended droplet-based surface sampling of repaglinide dosed thin tissue sections with subsequent HPLC separation and mass spectrometric analysis of parent drug and various drug metabolites were studied. Major organs (brain, lung, liver, kidney and muscle) from whole-body thin tissue sections and corresponding organ homogenates prepared from repaglinide dosed mice were sampled by surface sampling and by bulk extraction, respectively, and analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS. A semi-quantitative agreement between data obtained by surface sampling and that by employing organ homogenate extraction was observed. Drug concentrations obtained by the two methods followed the same patterns for post-dose time points (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 h). Drug amounts determined in the specific tissues was typically higher when analyzing extracts from the organ homogenates. In addition, relative comparison of the levels of individual metabolites between the two analytical methods also revealed good semi-quantitative agreement.

Mass spectrometry imaging of therapeutics from animal models to three-dimensional cell cultures

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful label-free technique for the investigation of the spatial distribution of molecules at complex surfaces and has been widely used in the pharmaceutical sciences to understand the distribution of different drugs and their metabolites in various biological samples, ranging from cell-based models to tissues. Here, we review the current applications of MSI for drug studies in animal models, followed by a discussion of the novel advances of MSI in three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures for accurate, efficient, and high-throughput analyses to evaluate therapeutics.

Metabolic disposition of the anti-cancer agent [(14)C]laromustine in male rats

1. Laromustine (VNP40101M, also known as Cloretazine) is a novel sulfonylhydrazine alkylating (anticancer) agent. This article describes the use of quantitative whole-body autoradiography (QWBA) and mass balance to study the tissue distribution, the excretion mass balance and pharmacokinetics after intravenous administration of [(14)C]VNP40101M to rats. A single 10 mg/kg IV bolus dose of [(14)C]VNP40101M was given to rats. 2. The recovery of radioactivity from the Group 1 animals over a 7-day period was an average of 92.1% of the administered dose, which was accounted for in the excreta and carcass. Most of the radioactivity was eliminated within 48 h via urine (48%), with less excreted in feces (5%) and expired air accounted for (11%). The plasma half-life of [(14)C]laromustine was approximately 62 min and the peak plasma concentration (Cmax) averaged 8.3 μg/mL. 3. The QWBA study indicated that the drug-derived radioactivity was widely distributed to tissues through 7 days post-dose after a single 10 mg/kg IV bolus dose of [(14)C]VNP40101M to male pigmented Long-Evans rats. The maximum concentrations were observed at 0.5 or 1 h post-dose for majority tissues (28 of 42). The highest concentrations of radioactivity were found in the small intestine contents at 0.5 h (112.137 µg equiv/g), urinary bladder contents at 3 h (89.636 µg equiv/g) and probably reflect excretion of drug and metabolites. The highest concentrations in specific organs were found in the renal cortex at 1 h (28.582 µg equiv/g), small intestine at 3 h (16.946 µg equiv/g), Harderian gland at 3 h (12.332 µg equiv/g) and pancreas at 3 h (12.635 µg equiv/g). Concentrations in the cerebrum (1.978 µg equiv/g), cerebellum (2.109 µg equiv/g), medulla (1.797 µg equiv/g) and spinal cord (1.510 µg equiv/g) were maximal at 0.5 h post-dose and persisted for 7 days. 4. The predicted total body and target organ exposures for humans given a single 100 µCi IV dose of [(14)C]VNP40101M were well within the medical guidelines for maximum radioactivity exposures in human subjects.

Identification of effective substrates for the direct analysis of lipids from cell lines using desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Various disease conditions, particularly tumours, can be understood easily by studying changes in the lipid profile of cells. While lipid profiles of tissues have been recorded by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (DESI-MS) imaging, there is paucity in standardized protocols for sample preparation involving cell cultures to generate reliable results. In this study, we report a method for the direct analysis of lipids from cultured cells by incorporating them onto Whatman 42 filter paper as a substrate for reliable DESI-MS analysis.

METHODS

The WERI-RB1 cell line was spotted on commonly used substrates for DESI-MS analysis, such as glass slides, Teflon coated glass slides, thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates, and Whatman 42 filter paper. A comparison of mass spectrometric images with two different lipids was made to understand the behaviour of different surfaces when the same sample was spotted on them. Relative intensities of different lipid peaks in the WERI-RB1 cell line were compared and relative lipid abundances were also compared across two different human retinoblastoma cell lines; WERI-RB1 and Y79.

RESULTS

The study demonstrates that good lipid signals can be obtained by DESI-MS when the cells are spotted on Whatman 42 filter paper. Tandem mass spectrometry was performed to identify the lipids as glycerophosphocholines (PC). Better lipid images from assembly of cells were obtained with distinct boundary when they were spotted on Whatman 42 filter paper than other surfaces.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate the use of a simple substrate for reliable DESI-MS analysis of cultured cells. This method has the potential to understand various interactions of cells with other external agents. The current method would help in the application of DESI-MS for biology in general and medical sciences in particular.

Assessing drug and metabolite detection in liver tissue by UV-MALDI and IR-MALDESI mass spectrometry imaging coupled to FT-ICR MS

Determining the distribution of a drug and its metabolites within tissue is a key facet of evaluating drug candidates. Drug distribution can have a significant implication in appraising drug efficacy and potential toxicity. The specificity and sensitivity of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) make it a perfect complement to the analysis of drug distributions in tissue. The detection of lapatinib as well as several of its metabolites in liver tissue was determined by MSI using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) coupled to high resolving power Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometers. IR-MALDESI required minimal sample preparation while maintaining high sensitivity. The effect of the electrospray solvent composition on IR-MALDESI MSI signal from tissue analysis was investigated and an empirical comparison of IR-MALDESI and UV-MALDI for MSI analysis is also presented.

Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Mass Spectrometry (LESA MS): Combining Liquid Extraction, Surface Profiling and Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry in One Novel Analysis Technique

In this chapter we give an overview of liquid extraction surface analysis mass spectrometry (LESA-MS), a novel analysis technique that combines liquid extraction from a surface of interest and ambient nanoelectrospray ionization combined with mass spectrometry to analyze compounds of interest. LESA MS was first described by van Berkel and Kertesz in 2009 and subsequently made commercially available by Advion Inc. by way of its TriVersa-NanoMate™ robotic nanoelectrospray ionization source. LESA was initially intended as a complementary analysis technique to MALDI imaging in pharmaceutical drug distribution and development; however, soon after the commercial availability of this technique, a broader use became apparent with applications ranging from biofilms on contact lenses, antibiotics expressed by bacteria cultured in agar, dried blood spot analysis, surface properties of aged plastics and aerosols from compactor material – to mention only a few. In this chapter, we will discuss selected applications and provide an outlook of LESA developments as they currently unfold, knowing full well that such a new technology will develop unexpectedly and in application areas not previously envisioned.

Liquid microjunction surface sampling of acetaminophen, terfenadine and their metabolites in thin tissue sections

Background: The aim of this work was to evaluate the analytical performance of a fully automated droplet-based surface-sampling system for determining the distribution of the drugs acetaminophen and terfenadine, and their metabolites, in rat thin tissue sections. Results: The rank order of acetaminophen concentration observed in tissues was stomach > small intestine > liver, while the concentrations of its glucuronide and sulfate metabolites were greatest in the liver and small intestine. Terfenadine was most concentrated in the liver and kidney, while its major metabolite, fexofenadine, was found in the liver and small intestine. Conclusion: The spatial distributions of both drugs and their respective metabolites observed in this work were consistent with previous studies using radiolabeled drugs.

Quantitative whole-body autoradiography, LC-MS/MS and MALDI for drug-distribution studies in biological samples: the ultimate matrix trilogy

The drug-development process requires an understanding of the ADME properties of the novel therapeutic agent. Determination of drug concentrations and identity in excreta (urine and feces) examines the products of these processes. Similar measurements made on plasma, while accurately determining exposure, show only what is being transported around the body. Both activities fail to confirm the nature of components at the pharmacologically relevant matrix - the tissue. Attention is therefore being directed towards methods that can be employed to address this lack in our current methodologies, to provide better quality data on which risk assessments can be made, so that pharmacological models can be refined, and drug safety improved. In this article, we will look at the current methods used to obtain tissue drug and drug metabolite concentrations, and their potential use in drug discovery.

Using a single, high mass resolution mass spectrometry platform to investigate ion suppression effects observed during tissue imaging

RATIONALE

The signal intensity of a given molecule across a tissue section when measured using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is prone to changes caused by the molecular heterogeneity across the surface of the tissue. Here we propose a strategy to investigate these effects using electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) on a single high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) platform.

METHODS

A rat was administered with a single inhaled dose of a compound and sacrificed 1 h after dosing. Sections were prepared from the excised frozen lung and analysed using MALDI, liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) nano-ESI-MS and nano-ESI liquid chromatography (LC)/MS. The ESI and MALDI ion sources were mounted either side of the ion transfer system of the same Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer.

RESULTS

MALDI MSI clearly demonstrated widespread distribution of the dosed molecule throughout the lung, with the exception of a non-lung section of tissue on the same sample surface. Comparison of the lipid signals across the sample indicated a change in signal between the lung and the adipose tissue present on the same section. Use of ESI and MALDI, with and without an internal standard, supported the evaluation of changes in the signal of the dosed molecule across the tissue section.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate the successful application of a dual ion source HRMS system to the systematic evaluation of data from MALDI MSI, used to determine the distribution of an inhaled drug in the lung. The system discussed is of great utility in investigating the effects of ion suppression and evaluating the quantitative and qualitative nature of the MSI data.

An industry perspective on tiered approach to the investigation of metabolites in drug development

Background: A tiered approach to drug metabolite measurement and identification is often used industry wide to fulfill regulatory requirements specified in recent US FDA and European Medicines Agency guidance. Although this strategy is structured in its intent it can be customized to address unique challenges which may arise during early and late drug development activities. These unconventional methods can be applied at any stage to facilitate metabolite characterization. Results: Two case studies are described NVS 1 and 2. NVS 1: plasma concentrations, measured using a radiolabeled MS-response factor exploratory method, were comparable to those from a validated bioanalytical method. The NVS 2 example showed how in vitro analysis helped to characterize an unexpectedly abundant circulating plasma metabolite M3. Conclusion: A tiered approach incorporating many aspects of conventional and flexible analytical methodologies can be pulled together to address regulatory questions surrounding drug metabolite characterization.

Automated liquid microjunction surface sampling-HPLC-MS/MS analysis of drugs and metabolites in whole-body thin tissue sections

BACKGROUND

The aim of this work was to develop a fully automated liquid extraction-based surface sampling system utilizing a commercially available autosampler coupled with HPLC-MS/MS detection.

RESULTS

Discrete spots selected for droplet-based sampling and automated sample queue generation, for both the autosampler and MS, were enabled by using in-house developed software. In addition, co-registration of spatially resolved sampling positions and HPLC-MS information to generate heat maps of compounds monitored for subsequent data analysis was also available in the software. The system was evaluated with whole-body thin tissue sections from propranolol-dosed rats.

CONCLUSION

The spatial distributions of both the drug and its hydroxypropranolol glucuronide metabolites were consistent with previous studies employing other liquid extraction-based surface sampling methodologies.

Selected scientific topics of the 11th International Isotope Symposium on the Synthesis and Applications of Isotopes and Isotopically Labeled Compounds

This micro-review describes hot topics and new trends in isotope science discussed at the 11th International Isotope Symposium on the Synthesis and Applications of Isotopes and Isotopically Labeled Compounds from a personal perspective.

Direct mass spectrometric screening of antibiotics from bacterial surfaces using liquid extraction surface analysis

RATIONALE

There is a need to find new antibiotic agents to fight resistant pathogenic bacteria. To search successfully for novel antibiotics from bacteria cultivated under diverse conditions, we need a fast and cost-effective screening method.

METHODS

A combination of Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis (LESA), automated chip-based nanoelectrospray ionization, and high-resolution mass or tandem mass spectrometry using an Orbitrap XL was tested as the screening platform. Actinobacteria, known to produce well-recognized thiazolyl peptide antibiotics, were cultivated on a plate of solid medium and the antibiotics were extracted by organic solvent mixtures from the surface of colonies grown on the plate and analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS).

RESULTS

LESA combined with high-resolution MS is a powerful tool with which to extract and detect thiazolyl peptide antibiotics from different Actinobacteria. Known antibiotics were correctly detected with high mass accuracy (<4 ppm) and structurally characterized using tandem mass spectra. Our method is the first step toward the development of a novel high-throughput extraction and identification tool for antibiotics in particular and natural products in general.

CONCLUSIONS

The method described in this paper is suitable for (1) screening the natural products produced by bacterial colonies on cultivation plates within the first 2 min following extraction and (2) detecting antibiotics at high mass accuracy; the cost is around 2 Euro per sample.