Simultaneous determination of gemcitabine and gemcitabine-squalene by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in human plasma

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2007 Oct 15;858(1-2):71-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2007.08.018. Epub 2007 Aug 22.

Abstract

Gemcitabine-squalene is a new prodrug that self-organizes in water forming nanoassemblies. It exhibits better anti-cancer properties in vitro and in vivo than gemcitabine. A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry assay of gemcitabine-squalene and gemcitabine was developed in human plasma in order to quantitate gemcitabine and its squalene conjugate. After protein precipitation with acetonitrile/methanol (90/10, v/v), the compounds were analyzed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and detected by tandem mass spectrometry using multiple reaction monitoring. The method was linear over the concentration range of 10-10,000 ng/ml of human plasma for both compounds with an accuracy lower than 10.4% and a precision below 14.8%. The method showed a lower limit of quantitation of 10 ng/ml of human plasma for dFdC and dFdC-SQ. A preliminary in vivo study in mice was shown as application of the method as no significant difference between human and mice plasma for the analysis of dFdC and dFdC-SQ was demonstrated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Deoxycytidine / blood
  • Deoxycytidine / chemistry
  • Gemcitabine
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Squalene / blood*
  • Squalene / chemistry
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*

Substances

  • Deoxycytidine
  • Squalene
  • Gemcitabine