title: Quantitative analysis of alprazolam and triazolam in hemolysed whole blood and liver digest by GC/MS/NICI with deuterated internal standards.
abstract: This report describes sensitive and specific methods for the quantitation of alprazolam and triazolam in hemolysed whole blood and liver tissue. Samples of blood and enzyme-digested liver are extracted without pH adjustment with n-butyl chloride, after addition of deuterated internal standards and urea. The evaporated extracts are reconstituted in acetonitrile for analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/negative ion chemical ionization (GC/MS/NICI). Fatty extracts may be cleaned up by partitioning between pentane and acetonitrile. Two ion pairs are monitored for each drug. Within-day coefficients of variation in the range 10-50 micrograms/L for blood are approximately 5%. Between-day coefficients of variation are less than 10%. The limit of quantitation (based on analysis of 0.2-mL blood samples) is 0.5 microgram/L for triazolam and 4 micrograms/L for alprazolam.
authors.affiliation: ESR, Wellington Science Centre, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Dent
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ouwerkerk
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000525:Alprazolam / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D003903:Deuterium; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014229:Triazolam / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014229:Triazolam; D003903:Deuterium; D000525:Alprazolam