title: Simultaneous determination of buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine, and buprenorphine-glucuronide in plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: For the first time, an LC-MS-MS method has been developed for the simultaneous analysis of buprenorphine (BUP), norbuprenorphine (NBUP), and buprenorphine-glucuronide (BUPG) in plasma. Analytes were isolated from plasma by C18 SPE and separated by gradient RP-LC. Electrospray ionization and MS-MS analyses were carried out using a PE-Sciex API-3000 tandem mass spectrometer. The m/z 644-->m/z 468 transition was monitored for BUPG, whereas for BUP, BUP-d4, NBUP, and NBUP-d3 it was necessary to monitor the surviving parent ions in order to achieve the required sensitivity. The method exhibited good linearity from 0.1 to 50 ng/ml (r2> or =0.998). Extraction recovery was higher than 77% for BUPG and higher than 88% for both BUP and NBUP. The LOQ was established at 0.1 ng/ml for the three analytes. The method was validated on plasma samples collected in a controlled intravenous and sublingual buprenorphine administration study. Norbuprenorphine-glucuronide was also tentatively detected in plasma by monitoring the m/z 590-->m/z 414 transition.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism Section, IRP, NIDA, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polettini
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huestis
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000097:blood*; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D011786:Quality Control
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; C050182:buprenorphine-3-O-glucuronide; D002047:Buprenorphine; C043585:norbuprenorphine