RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop and validate a sensitive method for quantitative analysis of podophyllotoxin in blood and dermal microdialysis samples of rats based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS-MS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The microdialysis samples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate with etoposide as the internal standard (IS). Podophyllotoxin was separated with an Agilent ZORBAX XDB-C18 column (2.1 mmx50 mm, 3.5 microm). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile: 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate (40:60, V/V) at a flow rate of 0.3 ml/min and the analysis was performed at the ambient temperature. The UFLC-MS/MS system was operated in the mode of multiple reaction monitoring using the electrospray ionization technique in positive mode.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Podophyllotoxin and etoposide responses were optimized at the transitions m/z 432.7-->397.3 and 589.5-->229.5, respectively. Calibration curves were linear over the range 2.0-1000 ng/ml. The lowest limits of quantification and detection values were 2.0 ng/ml and 0.7 ng/ml, respectively. The inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy were both less than 15%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This selective and sensitive method can be used to quantity podophyllotoxin in the blood and dermal microdialysates of rats.</p>