Validated method for the screening and quantification of baclofen, gabapentin and pregabalin in human post-mortem whole blood using protein precipitation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
File(s)MANUSCRIPT.doc (191 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Nahar, L
Smith, A
Patel, R
Andrews, R
Paterson, S
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
There has been a rapid increase in the number of prescriptions for baclofen (BLF), gabapentin (GBP) and pregabalin (PGL) in the UK since their introduction to therapy. Recent studies across the European Union and USA have shown the illicit abuse potential of these drugs and deaths have been observed. A simple, reliable and fully validated method was developed for the screening and quantification of BLF, GBP and PGL in human post-mortem (PM) blood. The analytes and their deuterated analogs as internal standard were extracted from blood using a single addition acetonitrile protein precipitation reaction followed by analysis using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS-MS) with triggered dynamic multiple reaction monitoring mode for simultaneous confirmation and quantification. The assay was linear from 0.05 to 1.00 µg/mL for BLF and 0.5 to 50.0 µg/mL for GBP and PGL, respectively with r2 > 0.999 (n = 9) for all analytes. Intra-day and inter-day imprecisions (n = 80) were calculated using one-way ANOVA; no significant difference (P > 0.99) was observed for all analytes over 8 non-consecutive days. The average recovery for all analytes was >98.9%. The limits of detection and quantification were both 0.05 µg/mL for BLF, and 0.5 µg/mL for GBP and PGL. The method was highly selective with no interference from endogenous compounds or from 54 drugs commonly encountered in PM toxicology. To prove method applicability, 17 PM blood samples submitted for analysis were successfully analyzed. The concentration range observed in PM blood for BLF was 0.08–102.00 µg/mL (median = 0.25 µg/mL), for GBP 1.0–134.0 µg/mL (median = 49.0 µg/mL) and 2.0–540.0 µg/mL (median = 42.0 µg/mL) for PGL.
Date Issued
2017-03-10
Online Publication Date
2017-03-10
2018-04-20T15:02:50Z
Date Acceptance
2017-01-13
ISSN
0146-4760
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Start Page
441
End Page
450
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
Volume
41
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkx019
Source Database
web-of-science
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000407200800012&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Chemistry, Analytical
Toxicology
Chemistry
SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION
ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS
HUMAN PLASMA
HPLC
DERIVATIZATION
URINE
SERUM
GUIDELINES
MS/MS
MS
Amines
Autopsy
Baclofen
Chemical Precipitation
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Chromatography, Liquid
Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids
Humans
Pregabalin
Reproducibility of Results
Tandem Mass Spectrometry
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
0301 Analytical Chemistry
1115 Pharmacology And Pharmaceutical Sciences
Analytical Chemistry
Publication Status
Published