Simultaneous determination of opiates, methadone, amphetamines, cocaine, and metabolites in human placenta and umbilical cord by LC-MS/MS

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2013 May;405(12):4295-305. doi: 10.1007/s00216-013-6784-6. Epub 2013 Feb 10.

Abstract

LC-MS/MS methods for the quantification of morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide, morphine-6-glucuronide, codeine, 6-acetylmorphine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, hydroxybenzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methadone, and 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine in human placenta and umbilical cord were developed and validated. Specimens (1 ± 0.02 g) were homogenized with the Ultra-Turrax T8 disperser and centrifuged, and the supernatant was submitted to solid-phase extraction with Oasis MCX cartridges. Chromatographic separation was performed using an Atlantis T3 analytical column (100 × 2.1 mm, 3 μm) and a gradient of 0.1 % formic acid and acetonitrile. Selectivity was verified in 10 different blank specimens. The method was linear from 1-5 to 100-500 ng/g, depending on the analyte. Limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 ng/g and 1 to 5 ng/g, respectively. Method imprecision was ≤15.3 %, except for MDMA at low quality control (18.1 %); accuracy, 87.1 to 114 %; extraction efficiency, 16.3 to 154.0 % (%CV = 1.8-39.4 %); matrix effect, -75.7 to 449.9 % (%CV = 3.5-50 %); and process efficiency, 8.7 to 316.0 %. The method was applied to authentic placenta and umbilical cord specimens from drug-user pregnant women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Amphetamine / analysis*
  • Amphetamine / metabolism
  • Analgesics, Opioid / analysis*
  • Analgesics, Opioid / metabolism
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods
  • Cocaine / analysis*
  • Cocaine / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Limit of Detection
  • Methadone / analysis*
  • Methadone / metabolism
  • Placenta / metabolism*
  • Pregnancy
  • Solid Phase Extraction / methods
  • Substance Abuse Detection / methods*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Umbilical Cord / metabolism*

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Amphetamine
  • Cocaine
  • Methadone