Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for determination of the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel/NMDA receptor antagonist NGP1-01 in mouse serum.

NGP1-01 (8-benzylamino-8,11-oxapentacyclo[5.4.0.0(2,6).0(3,10).0(5,9)]undecane) is a heterocyclic cage compound with multifunctional calcium channel blocking activity that has been demonstrated to be neuroprotective in several neurodegenerative models. A sensitive internal standard LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated to quantify NGP1-01 in mouse serum. The internal standard (IS) was 8-(2-phenylethylamino)-8,11-oxapentacyclo[5.4.0.0(2,6).0(3,10).0(5,9)]undecane. Sample preparation involved a protein precipitation procedure by addition of acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a Phenomenex Kinetex phenyl-hexyl column (100 mm×2.1mm, 2.6 µm) employing a gradient (45% isocratic 3 min, 45-95% linear gradient 6 min, 95% isocratic 3 min) of an elution mobile phase of 5mM ammonium acetate in 100% acetonitrile mixing with an application mobile phase of 5mM ammonium acetate in 2% acetonitrile. Detection was achieved by a QTrap 5500 mass spectrometer (AB Sciex) employing electrospray ionization in the positive mode with multiple-reaction-monitoring (MRM) for NGP1-01 (m/z 266→91) and IS (m/z 280→105). The method validation was carried out in accordance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. The method had a linear range of at least 0.5-50 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient 0.999. The intra-assay and inter-assay precisions (%CV) were equal to or within the range of 1.0-4.3% and the accuracies (% relative error) equal to or within -2.5% to 3.4%. The analyte was stable for at least 2 months at -20°C, for at least 8h at room temperature and for at least three freeze-thaw cycles. The extraction recovery was 94.9 to 105.0%, with a %CV ≤ 9.5%. The technique was found to be free of any matrix effects as determined by experiments involving five different lots of mouse serum. Cross-talk interferences were not present. Two different gradient slope chromatography runs were done on dosed mouse serum samples to assess a possible positive error in peak area determination from in-source fragmentation of metabolites generating the same MRM transitions as the parent drug or IS. No such interference was found in the NGP1-01 peak, while a minor interference was identified in the IS peak. The optimized method was applied to the measurement of NGP1-01 in serum of dosed mice.

A quantitative LC-MS/MS method for determination of thiazolidinedione mitoNEET ligand NL-1 in mouse serum suitable for pharmacokinetic studies.

Thiazolidinedione (TZD) compounds have shown promise as antidiabetic, antibiotics, antifungal and neuroprotective agents. The mitochondrial effect of a novel mitoNEET ligand, NL-1 {5-[(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-1,3-thiazolidine-2,4-dione}, and other TZD compounds, is a newly proposed mechanism for the neuroprotective action of these TZD compounds. In this work, a sensitive LC-MS/MS assay has been developed and validated for quantification of NL-1 in mouse serum. Sample preparation involved an acetonitrile protein precipitation procedure with addition of an internal standard NL-2 {5-[(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethyl-phenyl)methyl]thiazolidine-2,4-dione}. LC-MS/MS analysis utilized a Columbus C-18 HPLC column (2mm×50mm, 5µm). Chromatography employed a multiple step gradient program that featured a steep linear gradient (25-95% in 0.5min) of 15µM ammonium acetate (additive for eliminating carry-over) in 2% methanol mixing with increasing proportions of 100% methanol. The HPLC was interfaced to a QTrap 5500 mass spectrometer (AB Sciex) equipped with an electrospray ionization source used in a negative ionization mode. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of m/z 334→263 for NL-1 and m/z 250→179 for NL-2 was done. The method had a linear range of at least 1-100ng/mL in serum. The intra-assay and inter-assay percent coefficient of variation (%CV) were less than 4% and accuracies (%RE) ranged from -2.7% to 2.0%. The analytical procedure gave 96-115% absolute extraction recovery of NL-1. The relative matrix effect was measured and found to be insignificant. The analyte in serum was confirmed to be stable during storage and treatment. The method is suitable for pharmacokinetic (PK) studies of the parent drug NL-1 based on the preliminary serum results from dosed NL-1 mouse studies.