Aldo Polettini

Implementation and Performance Evaluation of a Database of Chemical Formulas for the Screening of Pharmaco/Toxicologically Relevant Compounds in Biological Samples Using Electrospray Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Electrospray ionization (ESI)-time-of-flight (TOF) MS enables searching a wide number of pharmaco/toxicologically relevant compounds (PTRC) in biosamples. However, the number of identifiable PTRC depends on extension of reference database of chemical formulas/compound names. Previous approaches proposed in-house or commercial databases with limitations either in PTRC number or content (e.g., few metabolites, presence of non-PTRC). In the frame of development of a ESI-TOF PTRC screening procedure, a subset of PubChem Compound as reference database is proposed. Features of this database (approximately 50,500 compounds) are illustrated, and its performance evaluated through analysis by capillary electrophoresis (CE)-ESI-TOF of hair/blood/urine collected from subjects under treatment with known drugs or by comparison with reference standards. The database is rich in parent compounds of pharmaceutical and illicit drugs, pesticides, and poisons and contains many metabolites (including about 6000 phase I metabolites and 180 glucuronides) and related substances (e.g., impurities, esters). The average number of hits with identical chemical formula is 1.82 +/- 2.27 (median = 1, range 1-39). Minor deficiencies, redundancies, and errors have been detected that do not limit the potential of the database in identifying unknown PTRC. The database allows a much broader search for PTRC than other commercial/in-house databases of chemical formulas/compound names previously proposed. However, the probability that a search retrieves different PTRC having identical chemical formula is higher than with smaller databases, and additional information (anamnestic/circumstantial data, concomitant presence of parent drug and metabolite, selective sample preparation, liquid chromatographic retention, and CE migration behavior) must be used in order to focus the search more tightly.

Fully-automated systematic toxicological analysis of drugs, poisons, and metabolites in whole blood, urine, and plasma by gas chromatography–full scan mass spectrometry

The availability of automated, rapid and reliable methods for the systematic toxicological analysis (STA) of drugs and poisons in biosamples is of great importance in clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories. Gas chromatography-continuous scan mass spectrometry (GC-MS) possesses a high potential in STA because of its selectivity and identification power. However, in order to develop a fully automated STA method based on GC-MS two main obstacles have to be overcome: (a) sample preparation is rather sophisticated owing to the need to isolate analytes from the aqueous matrix and to allow a correct GC repartition of polar analytes; (b) the large amount of information collected within a single analysis makes it difficult to isolate relevant analytical information (mass spectra of analytes) from the chemical noise. Using a bench-top GC-MS system equipped with a laboratory robot for sample preparation (the Hewlett-Packard 7686 PrepStation) and an original method for mass spectral purification, a fully automated STA procedure was developed involving isolation of drugs from the sample (whole blood with minimal pretreatment, plasma, urine) by means of solid-phase extraction, derivatization (trimethylsilylation) of the acidic-neutral and of the basic extracts, GC-MS analysis, processing of data, and reporting of results. Each step of the procedure, and the method for data analysis in particular, can be easily integrated with other existing STA methods based on GC-MS.

Systematic toxicological analysis of drugs and poisons in biosamples by hyphenated chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques

The introduction of hyphenated chromatographic-spectroscopic techniques represented a substantial step-forward for Systematic Toxicological Analysis (STA), increasing the amount and quality of information obtainable from the analysis of a biological sample, and enhancing the possibilities of identifying unknown drugs and poisons. STA methods based either on GC-MS or on HPLC-UV published in the last decade are reviewed in this paper. The different analytical phases, i.e. sample preparation (pretreatment, extraction, derivatisation), chromatographic separation and detection/identification are examined in detail in order to emphasise the complementarity of the two approaches. In addition, the first STA method based on HPLC-MS is illustrated and some applications of TLC-UV to drug screening are also described. Finally, an overview of semi- and fully-automated STA methods is given.

Bioanalysis of β2-agonists by hyphenated chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques

Abstract Recent reports on the misuse of β2-agonists, both as stimulants and as “anabolic agents” in sports, highlight the importance of screening and confirmation methods for these compounds in anti-doping control procedures. Although only a few analytical methods have been developed for this purpose, the large experience gained, both in pharmacokinetic studies and above all in the control of the residues of β2-agonists in animal fluids and tissues, can be of great help in the anti-doping field. This paper reviews single-residue (SR) and multi-residue (MR) methods developed for the analysis of β2-agonists in urine, plasma and hair samples, based on hyphenated chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques, published in the last ten-year period. The evolution from GC-MS analysis after derivatization, with particular attention to the features of different proposed derivatives, to the most recent applications of coupled-column liquid chromatography (LC-LC) combined with tandem mass spectrometric detection (MS-MS) via a thermospray (TSP) interface is illustrated, and future perspectives in the field are outlined.

Determination of opiates in hair. Effects of extraction methods on recovery and on stability of analytes

In order to evaluate (i) the recovery of extraction of opiates from authentic hair samples and (ii) the extent of hydrolysis of acetylated opiates (6-acetylmorphine, acetylcodeine) occurring during sample preparation, three different methods of extraction commonly used for opiates have been compared. To this purpose a sample consisting of a pool of hair collected from several heroin overdose cases has been submitted alternately to (A) digestion in 2 M NaOH at 80 degrees C for 1 h (n = 5), (B) incubation in 0.1 M HCl at 45 degrees C for 18 h (n = 5) and (C) incubation in methanol at 37 degrees C for 18 h (n = 5). After pH adjustment of the different incubation media to 7-8, analytes have been isolated by means of SPE using Bond Elut certify columns and derivatized with MSTFA. Analyses have been performed by either GC-MS in the selected ion monitoring mode or, omitting SPE, by radioimmunoassay. The extent of hydrolysis of 6-acetylmorphine to morphine and of acetylcodeine to codeine have been determined by submitting blank hair samples spiked with the acetylated analytes to the different extraction methods and measuring the amount of morphine and codeine formed. Both the recovery of extraction of the total morphine fraction (6-acetylmorphine + morphine) and the rate of hydrolysis of 6-acetylmorphine were found to be in the order: A > B > C. Similar results were obtained for the total codeine fraction (acetylcodeine + codeine). These results clearly indicate that: (i) the concentration of opiates measured in hair depends on the extraction method used; (ii) ratios between different analytes (e.g. 6-acetylmorphine vs. morphine) may reflect the rate of hydrolysis during sample preparation rather than different types of exposure to opiates.

Applicability of coupled-column liquid chromatography to the analysis of β-agonists in urine by direct sample injection I. Development of a single-residue reversed-phase liquid chromatography-UV method for clenbuterol and selection of chromatographic conditions suitable for multi-residue analysis

Abstract Optimisation procedures originally applied to coupled-column RPLC-UV for the residue analysis of polar pesticides were evaluated for the analysis of β-agonists in human and bovine urine using direct sample injection. Two approaches have been studied: (i) a multi-residue method (MRM) for the clean-up and separation of eight different β-agonists (isoprenaline, cimaterol, terbutaline, salbutamol, fenoterol, ractopamine, clenbuterol and mabuterol) and (ii) a single-residue method (SRM) focussed at the detection of clenbuterol residues in samples of urine. Both approaches provided efficient procedures to process urine samples automatically with coupled-column LC. Particular attention was paid to selecting analytical conditions suitable for thermospray MS detection, which is to be investigated in the near future. Though UV detection cannot offer enough selectivity for the simultaneous screening of a group of β-agonists, coupled-column RPLC-UV proved to be very powerful in SRM, allowing the detection of clenbuterol at the μg/1 level in filtered (0.45 μm) human and bovine urine after direct sample injection.

Development of a coupled-column liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method for the direct determination of betamethasone in urine.

Different hyphenated liquid chromatographic (LC) and mass spectrometric (MS) techniques were investigated in order to set-up a method for the fast, direct analysis of betamethasone in hydrolysed and non-hydrolysed urine using large-volume sample injection. After the optimisation of the LC parameters using a traditional UV detector and of the thermospray and mass spectrometric parameters by flow injection, urine samples (0.5 ml) were submitted to analysis by either LC combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS), coupled-column LC (LC-LC) combined with single quadrupole MS, and LC-LC-MS-MS. Both the three-step configurations (LC-MS-MS and LC-LC-MS) did not provide satisfactory results: loss of sensitivity was noted in the case of LC-MS-MS (likely due to reduced efficiency in the ionisation of betamethasone in the thermospray owing to the presence of large amounts of matrix interference), while in the case of LC-LC-MS a high chemical noise resulting in insufficient selectivity of detection was observed. On the contrary, LC-LC-MS-MS analysis proved to meet the demand of high speed of analysis (sample throughput, 4.5 h(-1)), selectivity, and sensitivity (LOQ, 1 ng/ml; LOD, 0.2 ng/ml). Notwithstanding the complex analytical system adopted, the developed procedure was manageable and very robust, provided that at the beginning of each analytical session the performance of the system was controlled by checking the retention time of the analytes on the first analytical column with UV detection and by optimising vaporiser temperature of the thermospray by flow injection.

Determination of clenbuterol in urine as its cyclic boronate derivative by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A rapid and reliable gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the determination of clenbuterol in urine is described. Penbutolol was used as internal standard. Four derivatization procedures have been tested, of which 1-butaneboronic acid gave the best results. The method includes extraction of the alkalinized urine (3 ml) with tert.-butyl methyl ether-n-butanol (9:1), derivatization with 1-butaneboronic acid (15 min at room temperature), and analysis in the selected-ion monitoring mode of the derivatives of clenbuterol at m/z 243, 327 and 342 and of penbutolol at m/z 342 and 357. The detection limit is 0.5 ng/ml and the recovery better than 90%.

Determination of β2-agonists in hair by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A method is described for the determination of the beta 2-agonists clenbuterol and salbutamol in hair. The method involves washing hair in sodium dodecyl hydrogensulphate solution, chemical digestion of the hair matrix in alkaline medium, solid-phase extraction, derivatization with methylboronic acid and analysis by gas chromatography/electron impact mass spectrometry in either the selected-ion monitoring or the scan mode. the effects of chemical digestion and of extraction on the recovery of the analytes were evaluated. Derivatization with methyl-boronic acid was compared with trimethylsilylation for GC/MS analysis of hair extracts, and was found to give mass spectra which showed more structural information with less chemical noise and better sensitivity. The proposed method was tested on real hair samples obtained from guinea pigs treated with growth-promoting doses of clenbuterol and salbutamol. Both compounds could be detected in hair of treated animals.

Rapid and highly selective GC/MS/MS detection of heroin and its metabolites in hair

A direct treatment of methanol-washed hair with a silylating solution is proposed to extract heroin, O-6-monoacetylmorphine, morphine, acetylcodeine, and codeine, obtaining the simultaneous derivatization of the hydroxylated metabolites and reducing potential sample contamination. Analysis is performed by capillary gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) using multiple selected reaction monitoring. Owing to the selectivity and sensitivity of the GC/MS/MS analysis, and to the extremely simple treatment of the sample, the method fulfils the requirements of both clinical and forensic diagnosis of heroin use.