TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2004//
TI  - Identification and quantitation of six non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents by LC-MS in biological fluids
JO  - Journal of analytical toxicology
A1  - Sayer, Hervé
A1  - Quintela, Oscar
A1  - Marquet, Pierre
A1  - Dupuy, Jean-Louis
A1  - Gaulier, Jean-Michel
A1  - Lachâtre, Gérard
SP  - 105
EP  - 110
VL  - 28
IS  - 2
N2  - A liquid chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry technique for the screening and determination of five non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (NDBAs), atracurium and its product of degradation/metabolite laudanosine, rocuronium, pancuronium, vecuronium, and mivacurium has been developed using ambenonium as the internal standard (I.S.). Samples were acidified upon reception by adding 20 micro L 0.5M H(2)SO(4) to 500 micro L of biofluid. Sample preparation consisted of simple blood purification and/or protein precipitation using 1 mL I.S. in acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was carried out on an X-TERRA trade mark column along with a gradient of acetonitrile in 2mM ammonium formate (pH 3). Detection was carried out in the positive selected ion monitoring mode, targeting one quantitation ion and one confirmation ion per compound. The limit of quantitation was 2.5 micro g/L for mivacurium and laudanosine, 5 micro g/L for rocuronium and pancuronium and 10 micro g/L for atracurium and vecuronium in serum (i.e., in the range of, or less than, therapeutic levels). The technique was found to be linear between the respective LOQs and 2000 micro g/L, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.999 in all matrices. Intra- and interday precision and accuracy in serum fulfilled the international criteria. This method was employed for the investigation of a case of suicide by infusion of drugs. Laudanosine, the metabolite or degradation product of both atracurium and cisatracurium, and rocuronium were found in urine and whole blood, at supratherapeutic concentrations in the latter (rocuronium: 1.53 and 2.18 mg/L, laudanosine: 8.86 and 0.31 mg/L, respectively), and even therapeutic concentrations would have been lethal in the absence of respiratory assistance.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0146-4760
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jat/28.2.105
ID  - ref1
ER  -