Automation of a high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of nicotine, cotinine and 3-hydroxycotinine in human urine

Measuring tobacco smoke exposure: quantifying nicotine/cotinine concentration in biological samples by colorimetry, chromatography and immunoassay methods

Procedures to assess tobacco smoke exposure are reviewed and biomarkers used for determining the smoking status of an individual are compared. Methods used to extract these biomarkers from saliva, urine, and blood and the advantages and disadvantages of the assays are discussed. Finally, the procedures used to measure the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone speculated to be linked to nicotine metabolism, are discussed.

Determination of Nicotine and Its Major Metabolite Cotinine in Plasma or Serum by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Using Ion-Trap Detection

A specific method has been developed for the quantitative determination of nicotine and its major metabolite cotinine in plasma or serum of active and passive smokers. Deuterium-labelled nicotine and cotinine were used as internal standards. The amounts of nicotine and cotinine present in a sample of plasma or serum were extracted with a simple extraction procedure (liquid-liquid or solid-phase extraction). The extracts were analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry using ion-trap detection. The analysis was done in positive chemical ionisation with methanol as the liquid reagent. The method has been demonstrated to be linear up to 1000 microg/l. Limits of quantification for nicotine and cotinine are 10 and 5 microg/l, respectively with liquid-liquid extraction, and 1 microg/l for each of the compounds with solid-phase extraction. The present method has been applied to several real cases.

Application of liquid separation techniques to the determination of the main urinary nicotine metabolites

A rapid procedure for the analysis of the main nicotine metabolites (cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine) in urine has been worked out. The procedure includes isolation of nicotine and its metabolites from urine by means solid-liquid extraction technique using resin Amberlite XAD-2 and then quantitation by the use of thin-layer chromatography with densitometry (in reflection mode). GC-MS was applied to confirm the results obtained by TLC. The procedure was applied to the analysis of cotinine concentrations in urine samples taken from children living in Upper Silesia region (Poland). Among 444 investigated children we did not find cotinine almost in 60% but in 15% of this population, there were children who could have been exposed to cigarette smoke.

A New Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Method for Simultaneous Determination of Total and Free trans-3′-Hydroxycotinine and Cotinine in the Urine of Subjects Receiving Transdermal Nicotine

trans-3′-Hydroxycotinine (THOC) has been recognized as the most abundant metabolite of nicotine. In an attempt to assess THOC and cotinine (COT) concentrations during nicotine transdermal therapy, we developed a new quantitative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method for simultaneous determination of total and free THOC and COT in human urine. The method utilizes the following: (a) hydrolysis of conjugated THOC and COT by β-glucuronidase; (b) basic extraction of THOC and COT with mixed dichloromethane and n-butyl acetate; (c) derivatization of THOC with bis(trimethylflurosilyl)acetamide; and (d) separation and identification by GC–MS with selective ion monitoring. Lower limits of quantification for the assay were 50 and 20 μg/L for THOC and COT, respectively. The intra- and interassay CVs were 4.4% and 11% for THOC, and 3.9% and 10% for COT at 1000 μg/L. The results from six consecutive 24-h urine collections in 71 subjects administered daily transdermal nicotine doses of 11, 22, and 44 mg showed that, on average, free THOC was 76% of total THOC and free COT was 48% of total COT in all subjects. THOC is the major metabolite of nicotine and constitutes 20% of total nicotine intake at steady state, whereas urinary nicotine and COT excretion were 8% and 17%, respectively. The method is useful for simultaneous determination of free and total THOCand COT and can be used to assess the urinary excretion of these metabolites during transdermal nicotine therapy.

Determination of nicotine, cotinine and caffeine in meconium using high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with diode-array detection for the determination of nicotine and its metabolites, cotinine and caffeine, in meconium is described. This method is suitable to assess foetus exposure to tobacco smoke. The analytes were extracted by solid-phase extraction before chromatography. From among 30 meconium samples 11 were positive for cotinine (20-86 ng/g) and 27 for caffeine (10-45 ng/g). No nicotine was present in the samples because of its rapid metabolism into cotinine.

Determination of nicotine and two major metabolites in serum by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography-particle beam mass spectrometry

A rapid and selective assay of nicotine, cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in human serum, based on high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection has been developed. The compounds were subjected to solid-phase extraction, using Extrelut 1 cartridges. Recoveries were ca. 95% for nicotine, 90% for cotinine and 50-55% for trans-3'-hydroxycotinine. The limit of quantitation observed with this method was 10 ng/ml for nicotine and 5 ng/ml for each of the metabolites. The compounds were also identified using high-performance liquid chromatography with particle beam mass spectrometry, to confirm their presence in human serum.

Determination of nicotine and its main metabolites in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

Nicotine and its main metabolites (cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine glucuronide, nicotine-1'-N-oxide and 3-pyridylcarbinol) were analysed in urine after liquid-liquid extraction by high-performance liquid chromatography using norephedrine as internal standard, ultraviolet detection at 260 nm and scanning ultraviolet spectra with a photodiode-array detector. The conjugated trans-3'-hydroxycotinine was determined after enzymatic hydrolysis. Specific determination of 3-pyridylcarbinol was also carried out. Owing to its good selectivity, sensitivity and reproducibility, the method was applied to the analysis of urine samples from smokers and non-smokers. The results obtained suggest that the urinary markers used to assess active smoking or exposure to environmental tobacco smoke must be not only nicotine and cotinine, but also their main free and conjugated metabolites.

Simultaneous determination of cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet photometric detection has been developed for the quantitation of cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in human serum. A solid-phase extraction procedure was performed for the analytes and the internal standard, N-ethylnorcotinine, before chromatography. The use of a 30-cm reversed-phase column and a mobile phase of water-methanol-0.1 M sodium acetate-acetonitrile (67:24.5:6.5:2, v/v), pH 4.3, prevented the co-elution of caffeine with cotinine. The limit of quantitation observed with this method was 5 ng/ml for both cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine. The present method proved useful for the determination of serum levels of these metabolites, correlating with nicotine daily intake.