Comparison of a stable isotope labeled (SIL) peptide and an extended SIL peptide as internal standards to track digestion variability of an unstable signature peptide during quantification of a cancer biomarker, human osteopontin, from plasma using capillary microflow LC-MS/MS.

Human osteopontin (hOPN) is a secreted plasma protein which is elevated in various cancers and is indicative of poor prognosis. Here we describe investigations involving an extended peptide internal standard to track an unstable signature peptide followed by further method development and validation for quantitative measurement of hOPN from plasma using microflow liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (MFLC-MS/MS). A biologically relevant tryptic peptide 'GDSVVYGLR' was used as a signature peptide for this method. The optimized method involved immunocapture of the analyte protein using hOPN specific antibodies followed by trypsin digestion to obtain the signature peptide. Analysis was carried out on a Waters IonKey/MS system using a flow rate of 2.5µL/min. Immunocapture buffer was used as a surrogate matrix for the validation studies. The method was validated over a range of 25-600ng/mL. Intra-assay and inter-assay accuracies were within ±13%. Intra-assay and inter-assay precision were within 17%. A stable isotope labeled (SIL) peptide GDSVVYGLR* and an extended SIL peptide TYDGRGDSVV*YGLRSKSKKF were evaluated as internal standards (IS) to account for signature peptide digestion instability and variability. Inherent digestion variability i.e., under controlled conditions, was within ±20% with both IS peptides. In digestion variability studies, where trypsin activity was varied (20-180%), the use of the extended SIL peptide as an internal standard limited the variability to within ±30% of the normalized response. Alternatively, when the SIL peptide was used as the internal standard, the variability ranged from -67.4% to 50.6% of the normalized response. The applicability of the validated method was demonstrated by quantification of OPN from plasma samples obtained from 10 healthy individuals and 10 breast cancer patients. The plasma OPN concentrations in healthy individuals ranged from 38 to 85ng/mL with a mean concentration of 55.4±15.3ng/mL. A 1.5-12 fold increase in OPN concentrations, ranging from 85 to 637ng/mL, was seen in breast cancer patient samples.

Pulmonary delivery of anorectic oxyntomodulin in rats: food intake suppression, reduced body weight gain and pharmacokinetics.

BACKGROUND: Oxyntomodulin (OXM1-37) is an anorectic gut-secreting peptide with a promise to treat obesity, but its needle-free delivery has yet to be successful. RESULTS: Pulmonary delivery of OXM1-37, but not its C-terminal octapeptides, caused dose-related, transient 4-6 h food intake suppression in rats. At 0.5 mg/kg, its 30-38% food intake suppression led to 46% reduction in body weight gain by day 8. Its lung absorption was fast, elevating the systemic level rapidly, yet the bioavailability was low at 13%. In the brain, twofold neuronal c-fos activation was seen in the hypothalamus arcuate nucleus and brainstem area postrema. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary delivery is a promising needle-free systemic delivery option for OXM1-37 to treat obesity, as enabling effective lung absorption and brain interaction.

An extended stable isotope-labeled signature peptide internal standard for tracking immunocapture of human plasma osteopontin for LC-MS/MS quantification.

A stable isotope-labeled signature peptide, whose sequence corresponds to the human osteopontin (hOPN) specific antibody epitope, was evaluated as an internal standard to compensate for immunocapture variability during quantification of hOPN by immunoaffinity-coupled LC-MS/MS. Immunocapture variability was induced by varying the antibody amount per well from 150 to 4500 ng and analysis was carried out with internal standards added before and after the immunocapture step. The immunocapture variability ranged from -80.9 to 77.0% when the IS was added after immunocapture and from -37.5 to 20.3% when the internal standard was added before immunocapture. The lower variability demonstrates the ability of stable labeled isotope internal standard peptide to compensate for variation during immunocapture.

Safety studies of post-surgical buprenorphine therapy for mice.

The use of appropriate analgesia in laboratory mice may be suboptimal because of concerns about adverse events (AE). Target Animal Safety trials were conducted to determine the safety of an extended-release suspension of buprenorphine. Drug or control suspensions were injected subcutaneously in surgically-treated BALB/c mice anesthetized with ketamine-xylazine to mimic post-operative conditions in which the compound might commonly be administered. Single and repeat five-fold (5×) excesses of the 3.25 mg/kg intended dose were used to provoke potential AE. Trials included prospective measurements of weight changes, blood chemistry, hematology, and histopathology. Clinical and histopathology findings were similar in drug-treated and control mice in a four-day trial using a single 16.25 mg/kg, 5× overdose of the drug. In a 12-day trial, which used a total buprenorphine dose of 48.75 mg/kg, clinical and histopathology values were also similar in control and drug-treated female mice. In the male arm of the repeat-overdose trial, two of eight mice died on the morning of day 12, three days following the third 16.25 mg/kg overdose administration. Histopathology did not reveal a cause of death. In a 14-month trial using a single 3.25 mg/kg dose of the drug, no significant findings identified potential AE. These findings indicate a high tolerance to an extended-release buprenorphine suspension administered post-operatively in mice with appropriate husbandry.

An expanded cellular automata model for enantiomer separations using a ß-cyclodextrin stationary phase.

Chromatographic scale enantiomer separation has not been modeled using cellular automata (CA). CA uses easy to adjust equations to different enantiomers under various chromatographic conditions. Previous work has demonstrated that CA modeling can accurately predict the strength of one-to-one binding interactions between enantiomers and ß-cyclodextrin (CD) [1]. In this work, the model is expanded to a chromatographic scale grid environment in order to transform model output into HPLC chromatograms. The model accurately predicted the lack of chromatographic selectivity of mandelic enantiomers (1.05 published, 1.01 modeled) and the separation of brompheniramine enantiomers (1.13 published, 1.12 modeled) previously modeled in one-to-one interactions. By examining cyclohexylphenylglycolic acid (CHPGA) enantiomers, the model accurately predicted both the selectivity and resolution of the enantiomer peaks at varying chromatographic temperatures. Modeled changes in mobile phase pH agree with laboratory outcomes when examining peak resolution and selectivity. Changes in injection volume resulted in an increase in retention time of the modeled enantiomers as was observed in the published laboratory results.

Investigation of endogenous blood lipids components that contribute to matrix effects in dried blood spot samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a rapidly developing approach in the field of biopharmaceutical analysis. DBS sampling enables analysis of small sample volumes with high sensitivity and selectivity while providing a convenient easy to store and ship format. Lipid components that may be extracted during biological sample processing may result in matrix ionization effects and can significantly affect the precision and accuracy of the results. Glycerophosphocholines (GPChos), cholesterols and triacylglycerols (TAG) are the main lipid components that contribute to matrix effects in LC-MS/MS. Various organic solvents such as methanol, acetonitrile, methyl tertiary butyl ether, ethyl ether, dichloromethane and n-hexane were investigated for elution of these lipid components from DBS samples. Methanol extracts demonstrated the highest levels of GPChos whereas ethyl ether and n-hexane extracts contained less than 1.0 % of the GPChos levels in the methanol extracts. Ethyl ether extracts contained the highest levels of cholesterols and TAG in comparison to other investigated organic solvents. Acetonitrile is recommended as an elution solvent due to low lipid recoveries. Matrix effects resulted from different extracted lipid components should be studied and assessed carefully in DBS samples.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of thymidine kinase activity in human serum by monitoring the conversion of 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine to 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine monophosphate.

Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is an enzyme involved in DNA synthesis whose activity in serum is indicative of tumor proliferation and the severity of blood malignancies. 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (FLT), a specific exogenous substrate for TK1, is phosphorylated by TK1 in the presence of a phosphorylating buffer, therefore the conversion of FLT to 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine monophosphate (FLT-MP) can be measured to assess serum TK1 activity. Here we describe a liquid chromatography-MS/MS (LC-MS/MS) method for quantification of FLT and FLT-MP from serum using protein precipitation and column switching followed by detection on an Applied Biosystems SCIEX API 4000 QTrap mass spectrometer. The method was linear over the range of 0.5-500 ng/mL for FLT and 2.5-2000 ng/mL for FLT-MP with a mean correlation coefficient of 0.9964 and 0.9935 for FLT and FLT-MP, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 0.5 ng/mL for FLT and 2.5 ng/mL for FLT-MP. Intra-assay accuracy and inter-assay accuracy was within ±12% for both FLT and FLT-MP. Intra-assay precision was 2.8% to 7.7% for FLT and 3.3% to 5.8% for FLT-MP. Inter-assay precision was 4.6% to 14.9% for FLT and 4.9% to 14.6% for FLT-MP. Serum TK1 activity was measured in serum from hepatocellular carcinoma patients and age-matched controls under standardized conditions. Elevated TK1 activity was detected in 26.3% of hepatocellular carcinoma samples compared to controls. This method provides a robust alternative to radiometric and immunochemical assays of serum TK1 activity.

A quantitative method for acylcarnitines and amino acids using high resolution chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry in newborn screening dried blood spot analysis.

We have developed a high resolution liquid chromatographic separation with electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry detection for the combined analysis of twelve acylcarnitines and seven amino acids commonly measured in newborn screening heritable metabolic disorders. Samples were prepared by punching 3.2 mm disks out of dried blood spots and extracting with a mixture of methanol and 0.1% formic acid containing stable isotopically labeled internal standards. Analysis was performed on an UHPLC system using a HILIC amide, 2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.7 µm column. A normal phase gradient, employing 10mM ammonium acetate in 90:10 acetonitrile/water for mobile phase B and 0.1% formic acid in water for mobile phase A, was used. Optimized multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used for detection of amino acids and acylcarnitines on a Waters Premier mass spectrometer. Quantification of analytes was performed using internal calibration by fortification of sodium heparin whole blood with analytes at appropriate levels to encompass the range around the reported cut-off values. The method was fully validated with respect to precision, accuracy, recovery, linearity, matrix suppression and extraction robustness. Precision and accuracy were evaluated over 3 days and determined to be acceptable with an overall precision within 10% and accuracy within 15% of theoretical for all analytes except for acetylcarnitne at one fortified level, which quantitated 21.8% lower than the expected value. This method is suitable as a second-tier test for newborn screening of specific disorders associated with abnormal levels of acylcarnitines and amino acids, potentially reducing false positive cases and shortening the time to diagnosis.

A cellular automata model of enantiomer binding strengths to ß-cyclodextrin.

As yet, the analytical process of chromatographic enantiomer separation has not been modeled using cellular automata (CA). This approach uses mathematical systems that are easily adaptable to different enantiomer analytical binding interactions. A CA model of analyte to cyclodextrin (CD) interaction accurately (R(2)=0.9960) predicts one-to-one molecular binding strengths through correlation with experimental complex stability constants while exhibiting established chromatographic behavior (i.e. retention site dependency and band broadening). The model is expanded to enantiomer HPLC retention interactions with ß-CD that accurately predicts one-to-one binding strengths through the development of probabilistic rules and factors from chromatographic results. The proposed model predicts the strength of binding interactions and the degree of chromatographic separation (or lack thereof) of six enantiomer pairs that agree with published potential binding energies of enantiomer-(ß-CD) complexes and published experimental HPLC separations.

Determination of oxyntomodulin, an anorectic polypeptide, in rat plasma using 2D-LC-MS/MS coupled with ion pair chromatography.

Polypeptide therapeutics present a challenge for quantitative analysis when using immunoassays or recently, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry because of their structural similarities to endogenous proteins and peptides in plasma. In this assay, a Waters Oasis® mixed-mode anion exchange (MAX) microelution modified solid phase extraction (SPE) method coupled with two-dimensional reversed phase ion pair chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used for the validation and analysis of oxyntomodulin in rat plasma. Oxyntomodulin (OXM) and its isotope labeled internal standard were extracted from rat plasma and analyzed with a chromatographic run time of 8 min. Modified SPE, two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with 3-nitrobenzyl alcohol as a mobile phase additive, and monitoring of multiply charged SRM transitions (+7 charge state) of OXM were necessary to achieve a lower limit of quantification of 1 ng/mL. The method was validated with a linear range of 1-1000 ng/mL, with average R² of 0.992, and reversed calculated residuals between -8.6% and 6.0%. Precision and accuracy for inter- and intra-day were determined to be ±17%. Following a complete validation, the method was applied to show utility using rat plasma samples that were intravenously dosed with oxyntomodulin.

A biorelevant in vitro release/permeation system for oral transmucosal dosage forms.

This research describes the development and validation of a biorelevant in vitro release/permeation system to predict the in vivo performance of oral transmucosal dosage forms. The system is a biorelevant bidirectional transmucosal apparatus which allows better simulation of oral cavity physiological variables in comparison to compendial dissolution apparatuses and therefore may be a better predictor of in vivo behavior. The feasibility of the bidirectional apparatus was studied using smokeless tobacco (snus) as a model oral transmucosal product. In this research, nicotine release and permeation was investigated from commercially available snus using a modified USP IV flow-through apparatus, a commercially available vertical diffusion cell and a fabricated novel bidirectional transmucosal apparatus. The percent nicotine released/permeated was utilized as an input function for the prediction of in vivo plasma nicotine profiles by back calculation based on the Wagner-Nelson method. The prediction errors in C(max) and AUC(0-∞) with the USP IV flow-through device, vertical diffusion cell and novel apparatus were 4.03, 22.85 and 1.59 and -5.85, 5.85 and -9.27% respectively. This work demonstrated the suitability of the novel bidirectional transmucosal apparatus for predicting the in vivo behavior of oral transmucosal products.

Evaluation of the effect of ammonia on nicotine pharmacokinetics using rapid arterial sampling.

INTRODUCTION: The nicotine bolus theory states that the dependence-producing potential of cigarettes relates to a rapid increase in nicotine at brain receptor sites. It has been suggested that ammonia, a compound typically found in tobacco products, further increases the amount of nicotine absorbed and its absorption rate. The aim of this study was to determine whether different ammonia yields in cigarettes affected the rate or amount of nicotine absorption from the lungs to arterial circulation. METHODS: 34 adult smokers received 3 separate puffs from each of 2 test cigarettes with different ammonia yields (ammonia in smoke: 10.1 µg per cigarette vs. 18.9 µg per cigarette), followed by rapid radial arterial blood sampling (maximum one sample per second) with 30 min between puffs. Arterial blood samples were assayed for nicotine by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic modeling was performed and the two test cigarettes were assessed for bioequivalence. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in area under the curve, C(max), or T((max)) and the 2 test cigarettes were found to be bioequivalent based on 2 one-sided tests at a significance level of 5%. In addition, the zero-order rate constant (k(0)) obtained from the initial slope of the curves and the model-dependent first-order rate constant (k(a)) were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides strong evidence that the different ammonia yields of the test cigarettes had no impact on nicotine pharmacokinetics; thus, the ammonia did not increase the rate or amount of nicotine absorption from a puff of cigarette smoke.

Monitoring cellular accumulation of 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (FLT) and its monophosphate metabolite (FLT-MP) by LC-MS/MS as a measure of cell proliferation in vitro.

Accurate measurement of in vitro cell growth is critical for oncology drug development, but cell counting and the most accurate indirect proliferation assays are impractical. Here, we describe a robust alternative method that monitors proliferating cell thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) activity via LC-MS/MS quantification of 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (FLT) and its monophosphate metabolite FLT-MP. LNCaP prostate cancer cells were cultured at four densities (20,000; 10,000; 5000; and 500 cells/well) and incubated with 2000 ng/mL FLT in multi-well plates. Internal standards were FLT-d3 for FLT and d4-thymidine for FLT-MP. In culture medium, peak area ratios of FLT to FLT-d3 and FLT-MP to d4-thymidine were linear over the range 0.25-100 ng/mL (r(2)≥0.998). Accuracy for quality controls was between -7.3% and 6.3% for FLT, and from -3.3% to 1.7% for FLT-MP. Quality control precision was from 2.4% to 5.7% for FLT and 3.2% to 7.5% for FLT-MP. The limit of quantification was 0.25 ng/mL, with good control results (precision of 9.6% for FLT and 14.8% for FLT-MP). FLT-MP formation was linearly proportional to cell number from 500 to 20,000 cells/well 1 h after FLT addition. FLT-MP and ATP generation were comparable in LNCaP cells exposed to cell cycle inhibitor drugs (Spearman r=0.925, p<0.0001), demonstrating assay suitability for drug screening. This fit for purpose method is amenable to analysis of tumor tissue extracts, and should enable direct assessment of in vitro-in vivo relationships in animal models of cancer.

Determination of octreotide and assessment of matrix effects in human plasma using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A selective UHPLC-MS/MS method for determination of the therapeutic peptide octreotide in human plasma was developed and validated. This assay used a UHPLC C(18) column with 1.7 µm particle size for efficient separation and an ion-exchange SPE for selective extraction. Octreotide and its labeled internal standard, [(13)C(6)Phe(3)] octreotide, were extracted from human plasma using a simple Oasis® WCX µElution SPE method and analyzed with a total chromatographic run time of 7.5 min. Matrix effects were studied during method development by direct monitoring of representative phospholipids. On-line removal of phospholipids using column switching and pre-column back-flushing was carried out to trap and remove any residual phospholipid matrix interferences. The UHPLC column provided baseline separation between the analyte and matrix peaks. The chromatographic conditions yielded optimal retention and excellent peak shape for both the analyte and internal standard. The assay was linear in the concentration range of 0.025-25.0 ng/ml, inter- and intra-assay precision and accuracy were within 6.1% and ±1.93%, respectively. Recovery was ∼73%. Post-extraction addition experiments showed that matrix effects were less than 4%. This method for octreotide in human plasma has been validated and utilized to support of clinical pharmacokinetic studies.

Quantification of Alefacept, an immunosuppressive fusion protein in human plasma using a protein analogue internal standard, trypsin cleaved signature peptides and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Quantitative analysis of a therapeutic protein through use of surrogate proteotypic peptides was evaluated for the measurement of Amevive (Alefacept) in human plasma using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Signature peptides were obtained through in silico and iterative tuning processes to represent Alefacept for quantification. Horse heart myoglobin was chosen as a protein analogue internal standard to compensate for errors associated with matrix effects and to track recovery throughout the entire sample pretreatment process. Samples were prepared for analysis by selective precipitation of the target proteins with pH controlled at 5.1 and heat denaturation at 45°C followed by enzymatic digestion, dilution, and filtration. On-line extraction of the signature peptides was carried out using a Phenomenex Gemini C18 security guard column (4.0 mm × 2.0 mm) as a loading column and a Gemini C18 (100 mm × 2.1 I.D., particle size 5 µm) as the analytical (eluting) column. Tandem mass spectrometric detection was performed on a hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap equipped with electrospray ionization to positively ionize signature peptides for Alefacept and myoglobin. The method was linear for Alefacept (protein) concentrations between 250 and 10,000 ng/mL. Precision and accuracy for inter- and intra-assay for the lower limit of quantification was less than 20% (16.2 and 10.3, respectively). The method was validated according to current FDA guidelines for bioanalytical method validation.

Direct analysis of dried blood spots by in-line desorption combined with high-resolution chromatography and mass spectrometry for quantification of maple syrup urine disease biomarkers leucine and isoleucine.

A in-line desorption device was developed, which allows for direct analysis of dried blood spots eliminating the need for punching disks from the filter paper cards. Using this device, we have validated a method to quantify biomarkers related to maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), a metabolism disorder that often requires a second-tier test for confirmation. Direct analysis of newborn screening cards is conducted in-line with a high-resolution chromatographic separation with mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization and multiple-reaction monitoring. Quantification of leucine and isoleucine using an isotopically labeled internal standard encompasses a range suitable for MSUD assessment. Precision and accuracy of the technique was acceptable with relative standard deviations within 10% at three fortified concentrations and an unfortified level. A post-column infusion test shows minimum matrix suppression was observed using this direct sampling technique.

Microfluidic direct injection method for analysis of urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) using molecularly imprinted polymers coupled on-line with LC-MS/MS.

The work described in this paper involves development of a high-throughput on-line microfluidic sample extraction method using capillary micro-columns packed with MIP beads coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of urinary NNAL. The method was optimized and matrix effects were evaluated and resolved. The method enabled low sample volume (200 µL) and rapid analysis of urinary NNAL by direct injection onto the microfluidic column packed with molecularly imprinted beads engineered to NNAL. The method was validated according to the FDA bioanalytical method validation guidance. The dynamic range extended from 20.0 to 2500.0 pg/mL with a percent relative error of ±5.9% and a run time of 7.00 min. The lower limit of quantitation was 20.0 pg/mL. The method was used for the analysis of NNAL and NNAL-Gluc concentrations in smokers' urine.

A rapid and simple chemiluminescence method for screening levels of inosine and hypoxanthine in non-traumatic chest pain patients.

A rapid and simple chemiluminescence method was developed for detection of inosine and hypoxanthine in human plasma. The method utilized a microplate luminometer with direct injectors to automatically dispense reagents during sample analysis. Enzymatic conversions of inosine to hypoxanthine, followed by hypoxanthine to xanthine to uric acid, generated superoxide anion radicals as a useful metabolic by-product. The free radicals react with Pholasin(®) , a sensitive photoprotein used for chemiluminescence detection, to produce measurable blue-green light. The use of Pholasin(®) and a chemiluminescence signal enhancer, Adjuvant-K™, eliminated the need for plasma clean-up steps prior to analysis. The method used 20 µL of heparinized plasma, with complete analysis of total hypoxanthine levels (inosine is metabolized to hypoxanthine using purine nucleoside phosphorylase) in approximately 3.7 min. The rapid chemiluminescence method demonstrated the capability of differentiating total hypoxanthine levels between healthy individuals, and patients presenting with non-traumatic chest pain and potential acute cardiac ischemia. The results support the potential use of chemiluminescence methodology as a diagnostic tool to rapidly screen for elevated levels of inosine and hypoxanthine in human plasma, potential biomarkers of acute cardiac ischemia.

Diazepam autoinjector intramuscular delivery system versus diazepam rectal gel: A pharmacokinetic comparison.

Rectal administration of diazepam (DZ) has been used effectively in patients with epilepsy who experience acute repetitive seizures, but rectal gel may be difficult to administer during a seizure and is subject to variable drug absorption. An intramuscular (IM) autoinjector DZ formulation may offer a practical alternative to rectal DZ. This single-center, open-label, 3-treatment, 3-period crossover study compared the pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of 10mg DZ administered rectally in 24 healthy, fasted and fed subjects versus IM autoinjector delivery in fasted subjects. Blood samples were collected at baseline and for up to 24h postdose and plasma DZ concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. There were no significant differences between plasma concentrations for rectal administration of DZ in fasted and fed subjects at any time point. Intramuscular DZ administration resulted in more rapid and less variable drug absorption than rectal delivery. At 30min postdose and at all subsequent evaluations, IM administration resulted in significantly higher areas under the curve versus rectal administration in fasted subjects (p<0.05). This significant difference was sustained throughout the remainder of the 24-h study period (p<0.05). All reported adverse events were considered mild, and none required treatment.