title: Analysis of eicosanoids by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS: a historical retrospect and a discussion.
abstract: Eicosanoids are a large family that derives from arachidonic acid, i.e., eicosatetraenoic acid. Prominent members include prostaglandins, thromboxane and leukotrienes. They are biologically highly active lipid mediators and play multiple physiological roles. GC-MS/MS has played a pivotal role in the identification and quantification of eicosanoids in biological samples. This technology generated a solid knowledge of their analytical chemistry, biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology. Since about a decade, GC-MS and GC-MS/MS are increasingly displaced by the seemingly more simple, rapid and powerful LC-MS/MS in the area of instrumental analysis of physiological substances, drugs and their metabolites. In this article, we review and discuss LC-MS/MS methods published over the last decade from the perspective of the GC-MS/MS user. Our analysis revealed that the shift from the adult GC-MS/MS to the youthful emerging LC-MS/MS technology in eicosanoid analysis is associated with several important challenges. Known pitfalls and problematic issues discovered by eicosanoid pioneers by using GC-MS/MS are often ignored by LC-MS/MS users. Established reference values and intervals provided by GC-MS-based methods are not considered properly in developing and validating LC-MS/MS methods. Virtually, there is a belief in the unlimited capability of the LC-MS/MS technique in eicosanoid analysis, a thought that simulates analytical certainty. LC-MS/MS users should profit from the plethora of solid knowledge acquired from the use of GC-MS/MS in eicosanoid analysis in basic and clinical research.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: tsikas.dimitros@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsikas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zoerner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D015777:Eicosanoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D054928:Validation Studies as Topic
chemical_list: D015777:Eicosanoids
keywords: Artefactual formation; Blood; Plasma; Tandem mass spectrometry; Urine; Validation