title: Quantitative analysis of mevinolinic acid in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with negative-ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Mevinolinic acid (MVA), the major active metabolite of Lovastatin in human blood, is analysed by microbore high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Quantification is carried out by using methylmevinolinic acid (MMVA) as internal standard. Positive- and negative-ion mass spectra of these compounds are shown. Because of the higher sensitivity obtainable, the negative-ion mode is selected for the analysis. Solid-phase extraction cartridges are used off-line to prepurify and concentrate the sample and a microbore (1 x 100 mm) reversed-phase column is used for chromatography. Tandem mass spectrometry is carried out in the precursor-ion mode using a selected-reaction monitoring procedure. The [M-H]- precursor ions for MVA and MMVA are selected in the first quadrupole analyser and the second analyser is focused on the common product ion at m/z 319. Detection and quantification limits are ca. 50 pg/mL and ca. 200 pg/mL respectively. An example of the application of the method to the routine analysis of samples from a bioequivalence study is also shown.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Bioanalysis, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona (IIBB), CSIC, Spain.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Calaf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrascal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gelpí
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abian
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004355:Drug Stability; D006801:Humans; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D013058:Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: C040295:mevinolinic acid; D008148:Lovastatin