Mass spectrometer metabolites

In gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), the effluent from a gas chromatograph is passed into a mass spectrometer and a mass spectrum is taken every few milliseconds. Thus gas chromatography is used to separate a mixture, and mass spectrometry used to analyze it. GC/MS is a very powerful analytical technique. One of its more visible applications involves the testing of athletes for steroids, stimulants, and other performance-enhancing drugs. These drugs are converted in the body to derivatives called metabolites, which are then excreted in the... 

The application areas for LC-MS, as will be illustrated later, are diverse, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative determinations of both high-and low-molecular-weight materials, including synthetic polymers, biopolymers, environmental pollutants, pharmaceutical compounds (drugs and their metabolites) and natural products. In essence, it is used for any compounds which are found in complex matrices for which HPLC is the separation method of choice and where the mass spectrometer provides the necessary selectivity and sensitivity to provide quantitative information and/or it provides structural information that cannot be obtained by using other detectors. 

Figure 5.45 Structures of (1) Bosentan (C27H29N5O6S [M + H]+ 552.1917) and three of its metabolites, formed by (2) oxidation (C27H29N5O7S [M + H]+ 568.1866), (3) demethylation (C26H27N5O6S [M- -H]+ 538.1760), and (4) demethylation-oxidation (C26H27N5O7S [M + M]+ 554.1709). Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Science from Exact mass measurement of product ions for the structural elucidation of drug metabolites with a tandem quadrupole orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer , by Hopfgartner, G., Chemushevich, I. V., Covey, T., Plomley, 1. B. and Bonner, R., Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Vol. 10, pp. 1305-1314, Copyright 1999 by the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

The method for chloroacetanilide soil metabolites in water determines concentrations of ethanesulfonic acid (ESA) and oxanilic acid (OXA) metabolites of alachlor, acetochlor, and metolachlor in surface water and groundwater samples by direct aqueous injection LC/MS/MS. After injection, compounds are separated by reversed-phase HPLC and introduced into the mass spectrometer with a TurboIonSpray atmospheric pressure ionization (API) interface. Using direct aqueous injection without prior SPE and/or concentration minimizes losses and greatly simplifies the analytical procedure. Standard addition experiments can be used to check for matrix effects. With multiple-reaction monitoring in the negative electrospray ionization mode, LC/MS/MS provides superior specificity and sensitivity compared with conventional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) or liquid chromatography/ultraviolet detection (LC/UV), and the need for a confirmatory method is eliminated. In summary,... 

LC/MS/MS. LC/MS/MS is used for separation and quantitation of the metabolites. Using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in the negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) mode, LC/MS/MS gives superior specificity and sensitivity to conventional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) techniques. The improved specificity eliminates interferences typically found in LC/MS or liquid chro-matography/ultraviolet (LC/UV) analyses. Data acquisition is accomplished with a data system that provides complete instmment control of the mass spectrometer. 

For HPLC/MS/MS analysis, a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer with an electrospray interface is recommended for achieving the best sensitivity and speciflcity in the quantitative determination of oxime carbamates and their metabolites. This allows... 

Currently, HPLC/fiuorescence is still the most common technique for the determination of residues of oxime carbamates. With the introduction of ESI and APCI MS interfaces, HPLC/MS analysis for oxime carbamates in various sample matrices has become widespread. However, for a rapid, sensitive, and specific analysis of biological and environmental samples, HPLC/MS/MS is preferred to HPLC/MS and HPLC/fiuorescence. With time, improved and affordable triple-quadrupole mass spectrometers will be available in more analytical laboratories. With stricter regulatory requirements, e.g., highly specific and conclusive methods with lower LOQ, HPLC/MS/MS will be a method of choice for oxime carbamates and their metabolites. 

Intact bacteria were first introduced into a mass spectrometer for analysis of molecular biomarkers without processing and fractionation around 1975.6 The ionization techniques available at the time limited analysis to secondary metabolites that could be volatilized, such as quinines and diglycerides, and vigorous pyrolysis of bacteria was explored as an alternative.7 Although biomarkers were destroyed in pyrolysis strategies, computer-supported cluster analysis was developed to characterize pure samples. 

Multiple mass analyzers exist that can perform tandem mass spectrometry. Some use a tandem-in-space configuration, such as the triple quadrupole mass analyzers illustrated (Fig.3.9). Others use a tandem-in-time configuration and include instruments such as ion-traps (ITMS) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS or FTMS). A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer can only perform the tandem process once for an isolated precursor ion (e.g., MS/MS), but trapping or tandem-in-time instruments can perform repetitive tandem mass spectrometry (MS ), thus adding n 1 degrees of structural characterization and elucidation. When an ion-trap is combined with HPLC and photodiode array detection, the net result is a profiling tool that is a powerful tool for both metabolite profiling and metabolite identification. 

Data-dependent acquisition ability has been developed and incorporated into most software packages [MetaboLynx, Xcalibur, and Analyst Information Dependent Acquisition (IDA)]. In data-dependent acquisition mode, a mass spectrometer decides on the fly whether to collect MS/MS or MSn data, remain in full scan MS mode, or conduct other survey scans based upon user-defined criteria. Product ion spectra of potential metabolites can be automatically acquired in a single LC/ MS run. However, false positives may be generated due to highly intense matrix ion signals that may inadvertently trigger MS/MS or MSn scan functions. 

One of the best tools for metabolite profiling is the hybrid QTRAP MS/MS system (Applied Biosystems).119-121 While the hybrid QTRAP MS/MS was initially considered a premier tool for metabolite identification, it has more recently been seen as a tool for quantitation and metabolite profiling. Li et al.122 described the use of a hybrid QTRAP MS/MS system for discovery PK assays plus metabolite profiling in the same analytical procedure. Because QTRAP MS/MS may be used as a triple quadrupole MS system, it can be used as part of a quantitative HPLC/MS/MS system. Because QTRAP MS/MS also has linear ion trap capabilities, it can be used for metabolite screening and characterization—essentially it combines the capabilities of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. 

One of the more powerful techniques is a new software tool called mass defect filtering.176 185-188 A mass defect can be defined as the difference between the exact mass and nominal mass of a compound.189 Typically, drug-like molecules (and their metabolites) will have mass defects that differ from those of endogenous matrix materials. While a mass spectrometer that has unit mass resolution cannot differentiate a test compound from an isobaric matrix compound, a high mass resolution MS may be able to differentiate many isobaric matrix compounds from test compounds. 

When nano LC is combined with mass spectrometer detection, attamole detection can be achieved for low abundance components in biological fluids, drug metabolites, and natural products such as Chinese herb medicines. Nano LC-MS-MS has become an essential tool for complex biological and drug metabolite studies. Nano LC-MS presents two significant differences from conventional analytical HPLC (1) large enhancement factor for sample detection and (2) direct interface to MS without flow splitting. The enhancement in MS ion counts relative to a conventional 4.6 mm ID column is proportional to the ratio of the square of the column diameter ... 

Historically, the target analytes in clinical mass spectrometric applications were small, volatile compounds that could be analyzed by GC-MS (see Chapter 4). With time, new chemical preparation techniques and derivatization schemes broadened the scope of these metabolites to include fatty acids, amino acids, intermediates of glucose oxidation, phospholipids, steroids, neurogenic amines, nucleic acids, etc. The molecular weights (molar masses) after derivatization were less than 1000 Da, a mass range easily within the limits of most conventional mass spectrometers. 

If the scope of mass spectrometry is limitless, why are the applications of clinical MS almost completely small molecules The answer is that most clinical tests analyze small molecules, biomarkers that are either metabolites or steroids and, hence, mass spectrometers would target those first. Perhaps a more complete answer would also include that methods must be very robust, easily reproduced in different labs, reliable, and subjected to an extensive array of validation tests. Although peptide and protein analysis is increasing rapidly in clinical labs, the MS approaches to these assays is lagging behind somewhat. MS techniques targeting these peptides and proteins exist, but they are primarily in the research stage, with few systems and methods subjected to the clinical rigors of validation. Once the necessary validations occur and methods simplified, it will only be a short time before MS is used routinely in clinical proteomics. 

Figure 14.3. Schematic showing the relationship between the Tandem Mass Spectrometer, the metabolites it measures and the diseases or conditions detected. (See color insert.)...

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