ABSTRACT
This report describes sensitive and specific methods for the quantitation of alprazolam and triazolam in hemolysed whole blood and liver tissue. Samples of blood and enzyme-digested liver are extracted without pH adjustment with n-butyl chloride, after addition of deuterated internal standards and urea. The evaporated extracts are reconstituted in acetonitrile for analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/negative ion chemical ionization (GC/MS/NICI). Fatty extracts may be cleaned up by partitioning between pentane and acetonitrile. Two ion pairs are monitored for each drug. Within-day coefficients of variation in the range 10-50 micrograms/L for blood are approximately 5%. Between-day coefficients of variation are less than 10%. The limit of quantitation (based on analysis of 0.2-mL blood samples) is 0.5 microgram/L for triazolam and 4 micrograms/L for alprazolam.