title: Quantitative determination of paclitaxel in human plasma using semi-automated liquid-liquid extraction in conjunction with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: This paper describes a high-throughput sample preparation procedure combined with LC-MS/MS analysis to measure paclitaxel in human plasma. Paclitaxel and an internal standard were extracted from plasma by a semi-automated robotic method using liquid-liquid extraction. Thereafter compounds were separated on a RP C18 column. Detection was by a PE Sciex API 3000 mass spectrometer equipped with a TurboIonSpray interface. The compounds were detected in positive ion mode using the mass transition m/z 854.6-->286.2 and m/z 831.6-->263.2 for paclitaxel and the internal standard, respectively. The limit of quantitation for paclitaxel was 1 ng/ml with an imprecision of 5.2% following extraction of 0.1 ml of plasma. Linearity was confirmed over the whole calibration range (1-1000 ng/ml) with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99 indicating good fits of the regression models. The inter and intra-day precision was better than 9.5% and the accuracy ranged from 90.3 to 104.4%. The assay was simple, fast, specific and exhibited excellent ruggedness.
authors.affiliation: Global Drug Metabolism, Pharmacia S.p.A, Viale Pasteur 10, 20014 Nerviano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Basileo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fonte
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D017239:Paclitaxel