Study of tanshinone IIA tissue distribution in rat by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method.
A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for determining tanshinone IIA in rat tissues. After a single step liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether, tanshinone IIA and loratadine (internal standard) was subjected to LC/MS/MS analysis using positive electro-spray ionization under selected reaction monitoring mode. Chromatographic separation of tanshinone IIA and loratadine was achieved on a Hypersil BDS C(18) column (i.d. 2.1 x 50 mm, 5 microm) with a mobile phase consisting of methanol-1% formic acid (90:10, v/v) at a flow rate of 300 microL/min. The intra-day and inter-day precision of the method were less than 10.2 and 12.4%, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day accuracies ranged from 99.7 to 109.7%. The lowest limit of quantification for tanshinone IIA was 1 ng/mL. The method was applied to a tanshinone IIA tissue distribution study after an oral dose of 60 mg/kg to rats. Tanshinone IIA tissue concentrations decreased in the order of stomach > small intestine > lung > liver > fat > muscle > kidneys > spleen > heart > plasma > brain > testes. Tanshinone IIA still could be detected in most of the tissues at 20 h post-dosing. These results indicate that the LC/MS/MS method was rapid and sensitive to quantify tanshinone IIA in different rat tissues.
Bi
Hui-chang
HC
Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road II, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
Law
Francis C P
FC
Zhong
Guo-ping
GP
Xu
Chen-shu
CS
Pan
Ying
Y
Ding
Liang
L
Chen
Xiao
X
Zhao
Li-zi
LZ
Xu
Qiong
Q
Huang
Min
M
D045784:Abietanes; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D045784:Abietanes; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C021751:tanshinone