Determination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in human plasma by LC-MS-MS with a hydrophilic polymer column

Abstract

Six nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in human plasma samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC)-electrospray ionizationtandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) using a hydrophilic polymer column (MSpak GF-310 4B), which enabled direct injection of crude biological samples. Separation of the six NSAIDs, alminoprofen, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, pranoprofen, tiaprofenic acid, and zaltoprofen, was carried out using gradient elution with 10 mM ammonium acetate/acetonitrile. The mass spectra obtained by LC-single stage MS showed base peak ions due to [M+H]+ for alminoprofen, zaltoprofen, tiaprofenic acid, and pranoprofen, and [M-H]- for ibuprofen and flurbiprofen. Product ions were produced from each [M+H]+ or [M-H]- ion in the tandem mode. Quantitation was performed by multiple reaction monitoring with switching from positive to negative ion mode and vice versa. All drugs spiked into plasma showed recoveries of 77.0%–88.2%. The regression equations for the six drugs showed excellent linearity in the range of 0.01–25 μg/ml of plasma, and limits of detection were in the range of 0.002–0.005 μg/ml. Limits of quantitation were 0.01–0.02 μg/ml. Intraday and interday coeffi cients of variation for all drugs in plasma were not greater than 8.1%. The accuracy of quantitating the six drugs was in the range of 94.5%–110%. Data obtained from actual determinations of the levels of alminoprofen, pranoprofen, and ibuprofen in human plasma after oral administration are also presented.