Analysis of 10B antitumoral compounds by means of flow-injection into ESI-MS/MS

J Mass Spectrom. 2005 Dec;40(12):1546-9. doi: 10.1002/jms.909.

Abstract

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a promising binary treatment for cancer. BNCT is based on the ability of the nonradioactive isotope (10)B to capture, with a very high probability, thermal neutrons. This nuclear reaction results in two particles (an alpha and a lithium nucleus). The particles have a high biological effectiveness, which is limited in tissue to approximately the diameter of one cell. If the reaction can be limited to a tumor cell, the physical characteristic opens up the possibility to selectively destroy cancer cells, while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Quality control of (10)B-containing compounds and their distribution at present are very important, and different analytical methods have been developed, such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS), prompt gamma analysis and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). These methods allow the analyses of (10)B, but it is not possible to characterize the specific molecular compounds containing (10)B. For this reason, we propose a fast and quantitative method that permits the determination of closo-undecahydro-1-mercaptododecaborate (BSH) and (10)boron-phenylalanine (BPA) and their eventual metabolites. In particular, (10)B-containing compounds are detected by means of flow-injection electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (FI/ESI-MS/MS). This approach allows the identification of Boron compounds, BSH and BPA, using tandem mass spectrometry, and quantitative analysis is also possible (c.v. +/-4.7%; n = 5; linear range 10-10,000 ng/ml). Furthermore, (10)B-containing compounds were detected in actual biological sample (urine and plasma, diluted 10,000- and 1,000-fold, respectively) injecting a small volume (1 microl) of diluted samples.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Borohydrides / analysis*
  • Borohydrides / pharmacokinetics
  • Boron
  • Boron Compounds / analysis*
  • Boron Compounds / pharmacokinetics
  • Boron Compounds / urine
  • Boron Neutron Capture Therapy / methods*
  • Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic
  • Humans
  • Isotopes
  • Middle Aged
  • Phenylalanine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Phenylalanine / analysis
  • Phenylalanine / pharmacokinetics
  • Phenylalanine / urine
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / analysis*
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / pharmacokinetics

Substances

  • Borohydrides
  • Boron Compounds
  • Isotopes
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • mercaptoundecahydrododecaborate
  • Phenylalanine
  • Boron
  • 4-boronophenylalanine