Automated protein precipitation by filtration in the 96-well format

Defining Acute Coronary Syndrome through Metabolomics

As an emerging platform technology, metabolomics offers new insights into the pathomechanisms associated with complex disease conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. It also facilitates assessing the risk of developing the disease before its clinical manifestation. For this reason, metabolomics is of growing interest for understanding the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), finding new biomarkers of ACS, and its associated risk management. Metabolomics-based studies in ACS have already demonstrated immense potential for biomarker discovery and mechanistic insights by identifying metabolomic signatures (e.g., branched-chain amino acids, acylcarnitines, lysophosphatidylcholines) associated with disease progression. Herein, we discuss the various metabolomics approaches and the challenges involved in metabolic profiling, focusing on ACS. Special attention has been paid to the clinical studies of metabolomics and lipidomics in ACS, with an emphasis on ischemia/reperfusion injury.

An automated flow system for in-line extraction of proteins and separation of jacalin using a low-cost stationary phase

Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins with many physiological and biotechnological applications. Isolation of proteins is normally time-consuming and encompasses multiple and, sometimes, complicated steps that hinder reproducibility and yield. Affinity chromatography is an efficient way to simplify and improve protein purification, however often requiring an expensive and fragile stationary phase. In this regard, automated flow-based systems minimize the time for extraction of species from solid samples without hindering the features of batch procedures. In this work, a new inexpensive affinity-based stationary phase was developed for in-line separation of jacalin, a galactose-binding lectin from jackfruit seeds. In the flow manifold, in-line extraction of proteins was also carried out with continuous monitoring using the spectrophotometric Biuret assay. For protein determination, linear response was observed from 3.0 to 15 g L^-1. The results of the analysis of protein extracts from jackfruit seeds obtained with the herein described procedure and batch procedure agreed with 95% confidence level. Quantitative extraction of proteins from jackfruit seed powder required recirculation of extraction buffer for 15 min through a lab-made polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) column containing 200 mg of the crude seed powder. In the chromatographic step, jacalin was isolated after 300 s. Therefore, three essential steps for jacalin isolation were performed in one manifold in a fast way, minimizing sample consumption and solution handling. Additionally, the versatile and multi-task developed flow manifold can be useful for routine analysis and preparative procedures, being adaptable for the extraction and separation of other species from solid matrixes with continuous monitoring of the processes.

Isolation and characterization of glycosylated neuropeptides

Glycosylation is one of the most ubiquitous and complex post-translational modifications (PTMs). It plays pivotal roles in various biological processes. Studies at the glycopeptide level are typically considered as a downstream work resulting from enzymatic digested glycoproteins. Less attention has been focused on glycosylated endogenous signaling peptides due to their low abundance, structural heterogeneity and the lack of enabling analytical tools. Here, protocols are presented to isolate and characterize glycosylated neuropeptides utilizing nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We first demonstrate how to extract neuropeptides from raw tissues and perform further separation/cleanup before MS analysis. Then we describe hybrid MS methods for glycosylated neuropeptide profiling and site-specific analysis. We also include recommendations for data analysis to identify glycosylated neuropeptides in crustaceans where a complete neuropeptide database is still lacking. Other strategies and future directions are discussed to provide readers with alternative approaches and further unravel biological complexity rendered by glycosylation.

High throughput screening of particle conditioning operations: I. System design and method development

The biotech industry is under increasing pressure to decrease both time to market and development costs. Simultaneously, regulators are expecting increased process understanding. High throughput process development (HTPD) employs small volumes, parallel processing, and high throughput analytics to reduce development costs and speed the development of novel therapeutics. As such, HTPD is increasingly viewed as integral to improving developmental productivity and deepening process understanding. Particle conditioning steps such as precipitation and flocculation may be used to aid the recovery and purification of biological products. In this first part of two articles, we describe an ultra scale-down system (USD) for high throughput particle conditioning (HTPC) composed of off-the-shelf components. The apparatus is comprised of a temperature-controlled microplate with magnetically driven stirrers and integrated with a Tecan liquid handling robot. With this system, 96 individual reaction conditions can be evaluated in parallel, including downstream centrifugal clarification. A comprehensive suite of high throughput analytics enables measurement of product titer, product quality, impurity clearance, clarification efficiency, and particle characterization. HTPC at the 1 mL scale was evaluated with fermentation broth containing a vaccine polysaccharide. The response profile was compared with the Pilot-scale performance of a non-geometrically similar, 3 L reactor. An engineering characterization of the reactors and scale-up context examines theoretical considerations for comparing this USD system with larger scale stirred reactors. In the second paper, we will explore application of this system to industrially relevant vaccines and test different scale-up heuristics.

A method for the direct injection and analysis of small volume human blood spots and plasma extracts containing high concentrations of organic solvents using revered-phase 2D UPLC/MS

This methodology provides increased assay sensitivity and facilitates small volume biofluid analysis in high percent organic samples.

Current advances and strategies towards fully automated sample preparation for regulated LC–MS/MS bioanalysis

Robotic liquid handlers (RLHs) have been widely used in automated sample preparation for liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) bioanalysis. Automated sample preparation for regulated bioanalysis offers significantly higher assay efficiency, better data quality and potential bioanalytical cost-savings. For RLHs that are used for regulated bioanalysis, there are additional requirements, including 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, software validation, system qualification, calibration verification and proper maintenance. This article reviews recent advances in automated sample preparation for regulated bioanalysis in the last 5 years. Specifically, it covers the following aspects: regulated bioanalysis requirements, recent advances in automation hardware and software development, sample extraction workflow simplification, strategies towards fully automated sample extraction, and best practices in automated sample preparation for regulated bioanalysis.

Biological sample preparation: attempts on productivity increasing in bioanalysis

Sample preparation is an important step of any biomedical analysis. Development and validation of fast, reproducible and reliable sample preparation methods would be very helpful in increasing productivity. Except for a few direct injection methods, almost all biological samples should at least be diluted before any analysis. Sometimes dilution is not possible because of the low concentration of the target analyte in the sample, and alternative pretreatments, such as filtration, precipitation and sample clean up using different extraction methods, are needed. This review focuses on the recent achievements in the pretreatment of biological samples and investigates them in six categories (i.e., dilution, filtration/dialysis, precipitation, extraction [solid-phase extraction, liquid–liquid extraction], novel techniques [turbulent flow chromatography, immunoaffinity method, electromembrane extraction] and combined methods). Each category will be discussed according to its productivity rate and suitability for routine analysis, and the discussed methods will be compared according to the mentioned indices.

Recent development in software and automation tools for high-throughput discovery bioanalysis

Bioanalysis with LC–MS/MS has been established as the method of choice for quantitative determination of drug candidates in biological matrices in drug discovery and development. The LC–MS/MS bioanalytical support for drug discovery, especially for early discovery, often requires high-throughput (HT) analysis of large numbers of samples (hundreds to thousands per day) generated from many structurally diverse compounds (tens to hundreds per day) with a very quick turnaround time, in order to provide important activity and liability data to move discovery projects forward. Another important consideration for discovery bioanalysis is its fit-for-purpose quality requirement depending on the particular experiments being conducted at this stage, and it is usually not as stringent as those required in bioanalysis supporting drug development. These aforementioned attributes of HT discovery bioanalysis made it an ideal candidate for using software and automation tools to eliminate manual steps, remove bottlenecks, improve efficiency and reduce turnaround time while maintaining adequate quality. In this article we will review various recent developments that facilitate automation of individual bioanalytical procedures, such as sample preparation, MS/MS method development, sample analysis and data review, as well as fully integrated software tools that manage the entire bioanalytical workflow in HT discovery bioanalysis. In addition, software tools supporting the emerging high-resolution accurate MS bioanalytical approach are also discussed.

Critical review of p38 MAP kinase inhibitors: a bioanalytical perspective

p38 MAP kinase is a key enzyme in the proinflammatory response and a large number of compounds have been studied as potential therapeutic drugs. This review summarizes the bioanalytical methods used for the analysis of p38 MAP kinase inhibitors, with a special focus on sample preparation and chromatographic analysis. Biological sample extraction techniques utilized included protein precipitation, liquid–liquid extraction and SPE. Applications include determinations of compounds in a variety of biological fluids and tissues. Extracted samples are typically separated by reverse-phase LC and quantitated either by UV or MS/MS detection. The benefits and limitations of each sample preparation strategy are discussed. The importance of chromatographic separation to avoid matrix effect and interference from endogenous compounds or drug-related biotransformation products are also discussed herein.

An automation-assisted generic approach for biological sample preparation and LC–MS/MS method validation

Background: Although it is well known that automation can provide significant improvement in the efficiency of biological sample preparation in quantitative LC–MS/MS analysis, it has not been widely implemented in bioanalytical laboratories throughout the industry. This can be attributed to the lack of a sound strategy and practical procedures in working with robotic liquid-handling systems. Results: Several comprehensive automation assisted procedures for biological sample preparation and method validation were developed and qualified using two types of Hamilton Microlab liquid-handling robots. The procedures developed were generic, user-friendly and covered the majority of steps involved in routine sample preparation and method validation. Conclusion: Generic automation procedures were established as a practical approach to widely implement automation into the routine bioanalysis of samples in support of drug-development programs.

High-throughput process development for biopharmaceutical drug substances

Quality by Design (QbD) is gaining industry acceptance as an approach towards development and commercialization of biotechnology therapeutic products that are expressed via microbial or mammalian cell lines. In QbD, the process is designed and controlled to deliver specified quality attributes consistently. To acquire the enhanced understanding that is necessary to achieve the above, however, requires more extensive experimentation to establish the design space for the process and the product. With biotechnology companies operating under ever-increasing pressure towards lowering the cost of manufacturing, the use of high-throughput tools has emerged as a necessary enabler of QbD in a time- and resource-constrained environment. We review this topic for those in academia and industry that are engaged in drug substance process development.

Quantitative determination of BMS-378806 in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

BMS-378806 is a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry inhibitor that is being developed for the oral treatment of HIV infection. Human plasma and urine LC/MS/ MS methods have been developed and validated for the quantitation of BMS-378806. For human plasma method, methyl t-butyl ether was used to extract BMS-378806 from plasma in a 96-well format, and the organic layers were dried down and then reconstituted for the injection, while a dilute-and-shoot approach was used for human urine method in a 96-well format. Chromatographic separation was achieved isocratically on a Phenomenex C18 (2) Luna column (2 x 50 mm2, 5 microm). The mobile phase contained 60:40 v/v of 0.1% formic acid in water and ACN. Detection was by positive ion electrospray MS/MS. The standard curves ranged from 1.25 to 1000 ng/mL for the plasma assay and from 10 to 5000 ng/mL for the urine assay. The curves were fitted to a 1/x2 weighted quadratic regression model for both methods. The validation results demonstrated that both methods had satisfactory precision and accuracy across the calibration ranges. The methods were applied to the analysis of human plasma and urine samples from a single ascending dose clinical study to assess the pharmacokinetics of the drug. The pharmacokinetic analysis results indicated the absorption and disposition of the drug was rapid. The systemic exposure of BMS-378806 was generally dose proportional among the doses from 100 to 1200 mg, but not dose proportional to 1600 mg. There were modest increases in the systemic exposure when the drug was given with food or given as a solution formulation. Renal excretion was not a substantial elimination pathway of the drug. BMS378806 was safe and well tolerated over a dose range of 100-1600 mg administered as a single oral dose.

Development and full validation of six inhibition assays for five major cytochrome P450 enzymes in human liver microsomes using an automated 96-well microplate incubation format and LC–MS/MS analysis

Substrate inhibition assays for five of the major CYP enzymes (phenacetin for CYP1A2, diclofenac for CYP2C9, (S)-mephenytoin for CYP2C19, dextromethorphan for CYP2D6 and midazolam and testosterone for CYP3A4) in human liver microsomes were developed. Fully automated incubations were conducted in a 96-well format under optimized enzyme kinetic conditions. Metabolites of probe substrates were analyzed with rapid LC-MS/MS methods. The assays were fully validated following the procedure for validating bioanalytical methods recommended by regulatory agencies. Quality control samples and a positive control CYP inhibitor were included in each assay. The IC(50) values determined for typical CYP inhibitors were reproducible and consistent with those reported in the literature. The high quality and throughput of these assays make them ideally suited for providing information for decision making in late drug discovery and early development and for providing labeling input for new drug registrations.

A 96-well single-pot protein precipitation, liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the determination of muraglitazar, a novel diabetes drug, in human plasma

A 96-well single-pot protein precipitation, liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the determination of muraglitazar, a PPAR alpha/gamma dual agonist, in human plasma. The internal standard, a chemical analogue, was dissolved in acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid. The solvent system was also served as a protein precipitation reagent. Human plasma samples (0.1 mL) and the internal standard solution (0.3 mL) were added to a 96-well plate. The plate was vortexed for 1 min and centrifuged for 5 min. Then the supernatant layers were directly injected into the LC/MS/MS system. The chromatographic separation was achieved isocratically on a Phenomenox C18(2) Luna column (2 mm x 50 mm, 5 microm). The mobile phase contained 20/80 (v/v) of water and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid. Detection was by positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry on a Sciex API 3000. The standard curve, which ranged from 1 to 1000 ng/mL, was fitted to a 1/x weighted quadratic regression model. This single-pot approach effectively eliminated three time consuming sample preparation steps: sample transfer, dry-down, and reconstitution before the injection, while it preserved all the benefits of the traditional protein precipitation. By properly adjusting the autosampler needle offset level, only the supernatant was injected, without disturbing the precipitated proteins in the bottom. As a result, the quality of chromatography and column life were not compromised. After more than 600 injections, there was only slightly increase of column back-pressure. The validation results demonstrated that this method was rugged and provide satisfactory precision and accuracy. The method has been successfully applied to analyze human plasma samples in support of a first-in-man study. This method has also been validated in monkey and mouse plasma for the determination of muraglitazar.

A 96-Well Screen Filter Plate for High-Throughput Biological Sample Preparation and LC−MS/MS Analysis

A novel 96-well screen filter plate (patent pending) has been invented to eliminate a time-consuming and labor-intensive step in preparation of in vivo study samples--to remove blood or plasma clots. These clots plug the pipet tips during a manual or automated sample-transfer step causing inaccurate pipetting or total pipetting failure. Traditionally, these blood and plasma clots are removed by picking them out manually one by one from each sample tube before any sample transfer can be made. This has significantly slowed the sample preparation process and has become a bottleneck for automated high-throughput sample preparation using robotic liquid handlers. Our novel screen filter plate was developed to solve this problem. The 96-well screen filter plate consists of 96 stainless steel wire-mesh screen tubes connected to the 96 openings of a top plate so that the screen filter plate can be readily inserted into a 96-well sample storage plate. Upon insertion, the blood and plasma clots are excluded from entering the screen tube while clear sample solutions flow freely into it. In this way, sample transfer can be easily completed by either manual or automated pipetting methods. In this report, three structurally diverse compounds were selected to evaluate and validate the use of the screen filter plate. The plasma samples of these compounds were transferred and processed in the presence and absence of the screen filter plate and then analyzed by LC-MS/MS methods. Our results showed a good agreement between the samples prepared with and without the screen filter plate, demonstrating the utility and efficiency of this novel device for preparation of blood and plasma samples. The device is simple, easy to use, and reusable. It can be employed for sample preparation of other biological fluids that contain floating particulates or aggregates.

Clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of transdermal drug delivery systems of salbutamol sulfate

Transdermal drug delivery formulation containing 5 mg/patch of salbutamol sulfate (SS), providing an input rate of 100 microg/h of SS was formulated and subjected for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation in moderately asthmatic patients (n=6). A linear correlation was observed between cumulative amount of drug diffused in vitro and cumulative AUC0-t of serum concentration-time curve (R2=0.99). A steady-state serum concentration of 2.87+/-0.1 ng/ml (per milligram dose) was attained after an initial lag period of 4.67+/-1.03 h. The elimination half-life, clearance rate and elimination rate constant was 3.35+/-1.07 h, 256.12+/-3.55 ml/min and 0.24+/-0.09 h(-1), respectively. The mean forced expiratory volume in one minute (FEV1) of the patients was 2.2+/-0.14l during steady state. The pharmacokinetic results correlated well with the FEV1 response of patients.

Liquid chromatography–negative ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of tacrolimus in human plasma and its bioanalytical applications

A simple, rapid, novel and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantification of tacrolimus (I) in human plasma, a narrow therapeutic index, potent macrolide immunosuppressive drug. The analyte and internal standard (tamsulosin (II)) were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction with t-butylmethylether using a Glas-Col Multi-Pulse Vortexer. The chromatographic separation was performed on reverse phase Xterra ODS column with a mobile phase of 99% methanol and 1% 10mM ammonium acetate buffer. The deprotonate of analyte was quantitated in negative ionization by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with a mass spectrometer. The mass transitions m/z 802.5-->560.3 and m/z 407.2-->151.9 were used to measure I and II, respectively. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.05-25ng/ml for tacrolimus in human plasma. The lower limit of quantitation was 50pg/ml with a relative standard deviation of less than 20%. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for concentrations over the standard curve ranges. Run time of 2min for each sample made it possible to analyze a throughput of more than 400 human plasma samples per day. The validated method has been successfully used to analyze human plasma samples for application in comparative bioavailability studies. The tacrolimus plasma concentration profile could be obtained for pharmacokinetic study. The observed maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) of tacrolimus (5mg oral dose) is 440pg/ml, time to observed maximum plasma concentration (T(max)) is 2.5h and elimination half-life (T(1/2)) is 21h.

Protein precipitation for the analysis of a drug cocktail in plasma by LC–ESI–MS

Three protein precipitation (PP) procedures with acetonitrile (ACN), perchloric acid (PA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) were investigated for the analysis of a drug cocktail from human plasma samples containing three pharmaceutical compounds and their primary metabolites. For this purpose, a capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of the six tested compounds in less than 6 min. Matrix effect was tested for each PP procedure by means of a post-column infusion system. The three PP techniques were found effective in removing proteins from human plasma and were fully compatible with capillary LC-ESI-MS analysis. However, with acid precipitations, low analyte recovery and a high variability, probably due to analyte coprecipitation, were obtained. Finally, ACN was found to be the most effective PP technique with a recovery higher than 80% and CV inferior to 6%.

Quantitation of SU11248, an oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and its metabolite in monkey tissues by liquid chromatograph with tandem mass spectrometry following semi-automated liquid–liquid extraction

SU11248 is a potent inhibitor of PDGFR, VEGFR, KIT, and Flt3, and is currently under Phase I clinical evaluation as an anticancer drug. A sensitive and specific analytical method for the quantitation of SU11248 and its metabolite in several monkey tissues (liver, kidney, brain and white fat) using LC-MS-MS following semi-automated liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) was developed and validated. Amounts of 50 mg of tissue were homogenized using an ultrasonic processor. After addition of the stable labelled internal standard (IS) and ammonium hydroxide (0.3%), samples were extracted with 2.5 ml of tert-butyl methyl ether. Following centrifugation, aliquots of 1.8 ml of the organic phase were transferred into a 96-well plate. The Packard Multiprobe II robotic liquid handler was used to perform all steps mentioned above. The organic phase was dried and the residue was reconstituted with 800 microl of 15 mM ammonium formate buffer solution (pH 3.25) using a Tomtec Quadra 96 workstation. Aliquots of 10 microl of the resulting solution were injected into the LC-MS-MS system. A Symmetry Shield C8 column (50 mm x 2.1 mm, 3.5 microm) was used to perform the chromatographic analysis. The mobile phase was 15 mM ammonium formate buffer solution (pH 3.25)-acetonitrile (74:26 (v/v)) with a flow-rate of 0.35 ml/min. Retention times of the metabolite and SU11248 were about 2.5 and 3.5 min, respectively. Total cycle time was 5 min. MS detection used the Applied Biosystems-MDS Sciex API 3000 with TurbolonSpray interface and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) operated in positive ion mode. The method was validated for both compounds over the calibration range of about 2 and 2000 ng/g. The suitability and robustness of the method for in vivo samples were confirmed by analysis of monkey tissues from animals dosed with SU11248.

High-throughput cytochrome p450 inhibition assays by ultrafast gradient liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry using monolithic columns

A generic method employing ultrafast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed and employed for routine screening of drug candidates for inhibition of five major human cytochrome p450 (CYP) isozymes, CYP3A4, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP1A2. The method utilized a monolithic silica rod column to allow fast flow rates to significantly reduce chromatographic run time. The major metabolites of six CYP-specific probe substrates for the five p450 isoforms were monitored and quantified to determine IC(50) values of five drug compounds against each p450 isozyme. Human liver microsomal incubation samples at each test compound concentration were combined and analyzed simultaneously by the LC/MS/MS method. Each pooled sample containing six substrates and an internal standard was separated and detected in only 24 seconds. The combination of ultrafast chromatography and sample pooling techniques has significantly increased sample throughput and shortened assay turnaround time, allowing a large number of compounds to be screened rapidly for potential p450 inhibitory activity, to aid in compound selection and optimization in drug discovery.

Quantification of the anti-leukemia drug STI571 (Gleevec) and its metabolite (CGP 74588) in monkey plasma using a semi-automated solid phase extraction procedure and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Signal Transduction Inhibitor 571 (STI571, formerly known as CGP 57148B) or Gleevec received fast track approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). STI571 (Gleevec) is a revolutionary and promising new oral therapy for CML, which functions at the molecular level with high specificity. The dramatic improvement in efficacy compared with existing treatments prompted an equally profound increase in the pace of development of Gleevec. The duration from first dose in man to completion of the New Drug Application (NDA) filing was less than 3 years. In addition, recently, FDA approved Gleevec for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). In order to support all toxicokinetic (TK) studies with sufficient speed to meet various target dates, a semi-automated procedure using solid phase extraction (SPE) was developed and validated. A Packard Multi-Probe I and a SPE step in a 96-well plate format were utilized. A 3M Empore octyl (C(8))-standard density 96-well plate was used for plasma sample extraction. A Sciex API 3000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface operated in positive ion mode was used for detection. Lower limits of quantification of 1.00 and 2.00 ng/ml were attained for STI571 and its metabolite, CGP 74588, respectively. The method proved to be rugged and allowed the simultaneous quantification of STI571 and CGP 74588 in monkey plasma. Herein, assay development, validation, and representative concentration-time profiles obtained from TK studies are presented.

High-throughput quantification of the anti-leukemia drug STI571 (Gleevec) and its main metabolite (CGP 74588) in human plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The signal transduction inhibitor STI571 (formerly known as CGP 57148B) or Gleevec received fast track approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). STI571 is a revolutionary and promising new oral therapy for CML, which functions at the molecular level with high specificity. The dramatic improvement in efficacy compared to existing treatments prompted an equally profound increase in the pace of development of Gleevec. The duration from first dose in man to completion of the New Drug Application (NDA) filing was approximately 2.6 years. In order to support all pharmacokinetics studies with sufficient speed to meet various target dates, a semi-automated procedure using protein precipitation was developed and validated. A Tomtec Quadra 96 (Model 320) and a protein precipitation step in a 96-well plate format were utilized. A Sciex API 3000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface operated in positive ion mode was used for detection. The method proved to be rugged and allowed the simultaneous quantification of STI571 and its main metabolite (CGP 74588) in human plasma. Herein, assay development, validation, and representative concentration-time profiles obtained from clinical studies are presented.

Importance of injection solution composition for LC-MS-MS methods

For the first time, the influence of the injection solution composition on the quality of LC-MS-MS methods, in terms of column efficiency and peak shape, was systematically investigated. Various types of compounds, including polar ionic acidic, polar ionic basic and non-polar neutral compounds, were prepared in different solutions ranging from 100% water to 100% acetonitrile. Different volumes of these solutions were injected onto either C18 or silica columns connected to tandem mass spectrometry. The mobile phases consisted of acetonitrile, water, and small amounts of volatile acid or buffer. On silica columns, the influence of injection solution on the peak shape and column efficiency was straightforward. The sharpest peaks and the highest column efficiency were obtained with 100% acetonitrile as the injection solvent. On C18 columns, this type of influence was less clear due to the dual retention mechanism of the bonded phase and of the residual silanol groups. On C18 column, retention due to residual silanol groups was significant even with a mobile phase containing less than 50% acetonitrile. Poor peak shape was observed when the injection solution had a stronger eluting strength than mobile phase, particularly for early eluting peaks.

Separation and identification methods for metalloproteinase inhibitors

Metalloproteinase inhibitors are being explored for the treatment of a wide variety of human diseases including cancers, arthritis, cardiovascular disorders, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and central nervous system illnesses. This review provides an overview of various analytical sample preparation, separation, detection, and identification techniques employed for the quantitative and qualitative determination of these inhibitor compounds. Special emphasis is placed on biological sample preparation by automated solid-phase extraction, liquid-liquid extraction, and protein precipitation by centrifugation or filtration. Other sample preparation methodologies are also evaluated. Applications of high-performance liquid chromatography. gas chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis to the quantitative determination of metalloproteinase inhibitors are described. Examples of qualitative analysis of metalloproteinase inhibitors by hyphenated liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance are also presented. The advantages and limitations of these separation and identification methodologies as well as other less frequently employed techniques are assessed and discussed.

Development and validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the determination of sanfetrinem in human plasma

A rapid, selective and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the quantification of sanfetrinem in human plasma has been developed and validated. The performance of manual and automated sample preparation was assessed; 50 microl of plasma sample was deproteinized with acetonitrile, followed by dilution with water and injection onto the LC system. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Phenomenex Luna C18(2), 50x2.0 (5 microm) column with a mobile phase consisting of water-acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid followed by detection with a Perkin-Elmer API3000 mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The lower limit of quantification was improved by five times compared to the UV method previously reported. A range of concentration from 10 ng/ml to 5 microg/ml was covered. The method was applied to the quantification of sanfetrinem in human plasma samples from healthy volunteers participating in a clinical study.

Quantitative analysis of pharmaceuticals in biological fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry: a review

1. The development of bio-analysis of drug molecules over the last 10 years is reviewed, focusing on advances in sample preparation, liquid chromatography and detection. 2. Developments have led to improvements in detection sensitivity, enhancements in specificity and increased capacity. 3. Emerging technologies such as monolithic column chromatography and miniaturized chip-based systems are discussed.

Plasma deproteinization by precipitation and filtration in the 96-well format

The need for fast bioanalytical methods within the pharmaceutical sector is rapidly growing. Sample preparation is often the bottleneck step. A new approach to increasing sample throughput involves precipitated protein removal by filtration in the 96-well format, thereby eliminating the need for centrifugation and manual handling of individual tubes. The potential for such a new technique has been investigated for the determination of an iron chelator, a highly protein-bound compound (> or =99.5%) in plasma. An analog was used as internal standard. Acetonitrile and plasma were sequentially aspirated, separated by an air gap, using a manual electronic pipettor. They were then dispensed into the channel of an Empore filter PPT plate above the filter, and a slight vacuum was applied. The eluate was collected and diluted prior to injection. The compounds were then separated by reversed-phase chromatography and detected by UV at 295 nm. The chromatographic run time was 6 min. The mean recovery following protein precipitation was 78%, which shows that the technique can apply to a highly protein-bound compound. Replicate quality control samples were prepared in drug-free normal human plasma at four different concentrations. The mean accuracy ranged from 87 to 108% with the CV ranging from 3 to 8%. The described procedure is simple, fast and reproducible. It requires minimal equipment. The time required to prepare a plate manually is only about 20 min. The use of 12-channel repeater pipettors reduces the risk of error and improves productivity. Automation should be an aid to further increasing sample throughput when more than one plate a day is to be prepared.

Novel liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric methods using silica columns and aqueous-organic mobile phases for quantitative analysis of polar ionic analytes in biological fluids

Use of silica stationary phase and aqueous-organic mobile phases could significantly enhance LC-MS-MS method sensitivity. The LC conditions were compatible with MS detection. Analytes with basic functional groups were eluted with acidic mobile phases and detected by MS in the positive ion mode. Analytes with acid functional groups were eluted with mobile phases at neutral pH and detected by MS in the negative ion mode. Analytes poorly retained on reversed-phase columns showed good retention on silica columns. Compared with reversed-phase LC-MS-MS, 5-8-fold sensitivity increases were observed for basic polar ionic compounds when using silica columns and aqueous-organic mobile phase. Up to a 20-fold sensitivity increase was observed for acidic polar ionic compounds. Silica columns and aqueous-organic mobile phases were used for assaying nicotine, cotinine, and albuterol in biological fluids.

Practice of solid-phase extraction and protein precipitation in the 96-well format combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection for the analysis of drugs in plasma and brain

C18 Empore 96-well extraction disc plates have been employed for the analysis of three drugs with different polarities in plasma in conjunction with HPLC-UV, rufinamide, ICL670 and an anticonvulsant agent (AA1) in an early stage of development. With the most polar compound (AA1), ion-pair extraction at pH 12 was applied. The method developed for the assay of AA1 in plasma was applied to its determination in brain using an Oasis HLB plate following homogenisation in a pH 7.4 buffer and protein precipitation with NaOH-ZnSO4, thereby saving time for method development. Protein precipitation in the 96-well format with filtration of the precipitate was applied to the determination of ICL670, a highly protein-bound compound (>99.5%), with a good recovery (78%). Reversed-phase chromatography was applied using a short 5 cm column packed with 3 microm particles for the determination of ICL670 and AA1 and two parallel columns (15 cm long) for the determination of rufinamide. The methods were used routinely, one plate per analysis day being processed, resulting in increase in sample throughput and saving in solvents.

Advances in sample preparation in electromigration, chromatographic and mass spectrometric separation methods

The quality of sample preparation is a key factor in determining the success of analysis. While analysis of pharmaceutically important compounds in biological matrixes has driven forward the development of sample clean-up procedures in last 20 years, today's chemists face an additional challenge: sample preparation and analysis of complex biochemical samples for characterization of genotypic or phenotypic information contained in DNA and proteins. This review focuses on various sample pretreatment methods designed to meet the requirements for the analysis of biopolymers and small drugs in complex matrices. We discuss the advances in development of solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents, on-line SPE, membrane-based sample preparation, and sample clean-up of biopolymers prior to their analysis by mass spectrometry.

High-throughput high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for modern drug discovery

High-throughput high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry can be used in the analysis of high-throughput organic synthesis products, bioanalytical target analysis for preclinical and clinical studies, and early absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) screening. New techniques are emerging, including system automation, faster analysis, programmed multiple extraction and analysis columns, multiple electrospray ionization channels, and automated 96-well sample preparation.

A 384-well solid-phase extraction for LC/MS/MS determination of methotrexate and its 7-hydroxy metabolite in human urine and plasma

A solid-phase extraction procedure, in a 384-well format, has been developed for methotrexate and its primary metabolite, 7-hydroxymethotrexate, in human urine and plasma. This format has not been utilized previously for solid-phase extraction of drugs from biological fluids. The 384-well plates contained a C-18 stationary phase bonded to silica particles which are incorporated into a glass-fiber membrane. Methotrexate and 7-hydroxymethotrexate have been quantified across the curve range of 1 to 50 microg/mL and 50 to 1000 ng/mL, respectively, in urine and from 5 to 250 ng/mL and 5 to 100 ng/mL, respectively, in plasma. Both analytes are quantified by linear regression using 20-microL sample aliquots. Experiments to evaluate the influence of particle size, elution volume, and injection volume on signal intensity were conducted and are reported, along with the results of experiments examining cross contamination between wells. Recovery was determined to be > or = 95% from urine. Results from a run of 384 samples analyzed over a 14-h period indicate that 384-well SPE can be successfully utilized to increase analytical run sizes and sample throughput for LC/MS/MS determination of small drug molecules in biological samples.

Fully automated 96-well liquid-liquid extraction for analysis of biological samples by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A fully automated high-throughput liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) methodology has been developed for preparation of biological samples using a 96-well LLE plate and a 96-channel robotic liquid handling workstation. The 96-well LLE plate is made of a 96-well filter plate filled with inert diatomaceous earth particles, allowing continuous and efficient extraction of analytes between the aqueous biological sample and the organic extraction solvent. Two carboxylic acid-based protease inhibitor compounds with high and low levels of plasma protein binding were chosen for the development and application of the automated methodology. The LLE extracts of the plasma samples of the two compounds were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The LC-MS/MS method was developed using a rapid gradient LC separation, followed by sample introduction through an ionspray interface in the negative ion mode and tandem mass spectrometric detection with selected reaction monitoring. In the optimized LLE method, a formate buffer solution was first loaded into a 96-well filter plate packed with inert diatomaceous earth material. Then crude plasma samples and a water-immiscible organic solvent, methyl ethyl ketone, were sequentially added to the LLE plate so that LLE would occur in the interface between the two liquid phases on the surface of individual particles in each well. The organic eluate containing extracted analytes was evaporated and reconstituted for LC-MS/MS analysis. This fully automated LLE methodology avoids several disjointed steps involved in a manual or semiautomated LLE method, leading to significantly reduced sample preparation time, increased sample throughput, and clean sample extracts for improved ESI-MS/MS detection. The automated LLE methodology is universal and can be employed for sample preparation of other biological fluids. The complete bioanalytical method, based on the automated LLE and fast gradient LC-MS/MS, was validated and successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of protease inhibitors in rat plasma.

A clinical trial on a plate? The potential of 384-well format solid phase extraction for high-throughput bioanalysis using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

The application of 384-well format solid phase extraction (SPE) for bioanalysis using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is reported and a 384-well SPE method for the 5-HT agonist sumatriptan in human plasma described. Plasma samples were extracted on a prototype low-density polyethylene 384-well SPE block using a packed bed of 5 mg Oasistrade mark HLB. Liquid handling was automated by a combination of a robotic sampler processor and a 96/384 multi-channel dispensing station. Samples and SPE reagents were drawn through the SPE block by centrifugation. The extracts were analysed by LC/MS/MS with thermally and pneumatically assisted electrospray ionisation and selected reaction monitoring. The method is used to illustrate and discuss the feasibility and viability of sample preparation techniques in high-density microtitre plate format for routine bioanalysis.

A highly automated 96-well solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of fentanyl in human plasma

A high-throughput bioanalytical method based on automated sample transfer, automated solid phase extraction, and fast liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis, has been developed for the determination of the analgesic fentanyl in human plasma. Samples were transferred into 96-well plates using an automated sample handling system. Automated solid phase extraction (SPE) was carried out using a 96-channel programmable liquid-handling workstation using a mixed-mode sorbent. The extracted samples were then dried down, reconstituted and injected onto a silica column using an aqueous/organic mobile phase with tandem mass spectrometric detection. The method has been validated over the concentration range 0.05-100 ng/mL fentanyl in human plasma, based on a 0.25-mL sample size. The assay is sensitive, specific and robust. More than 2000 samples have been analyzed using this method. The automation of the sample preparation steps not only increased the analysis throughput, but also facilitated the transfer of the method between different bioanalytical laboratories of the same organization.

High-throughput quantitative bioanalysis by LC/MS/MS

This review article discusses the most recent significant advances in the sample preparation and mass spectrometry aspects of high-throughput bioanalysis by LC/MS/MS for the quantitation of drugs, metabolites and endogenous biomolecules in biological matrices. The introduction and implementation of automated 96-well extraction has brought about high-throughput approaches to the biological sample preparation techniques of solid-phase extraction, liquid-liquid extraction and protein precipitation. The fast-flow on-line extraction technique is a different high-throughput approach that has also significantly speeded up analysis by LC/MS/MS. The use of pierceable caps for biological tubes further enhances the analysis speed and improves the safety in handling biological samples. The need for adequate chromatographic separation in order to eliminate interferences due to metabolites and/or matrix effects in LC/MS/MS is discussed. To highlight our limited understanding of atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry, results from recent investigations that appear to be counter-intuitive are presented. Looking ahead to the future, multiplexed LC/MS/MS systems and capillary LC are presented as areas that can bring about further improvements in analysis speed and sensitivity to quantitative bioanalysis by LC/MS/MS.