Determination of dihydroergocryptine in human plasma and urine samples using on-line sample extraction–column-switching reversed-phase liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive assay for the determination of dihydroergocryptine (DHEC) in human plasma and urine samples with dihydroergotamine (DHET) as the internal standard was developed. The procedure employs on-line sample preparation using an extraction pre-column and an octadecylsilylsilica (ODS) analytical column. After centrifugation human plasma or urine were injected onto the pre-column, concentrated and extracted, back-flushed onto the analytical column and eluted with a binary methanol—aqueous formic acid gradient. Either determination of DHEC as well of its mono- and dihydroxy-metabolites was performed by measurement of the signal responses from MS detection in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode using the transition of the respective parent ions to the common daughter ion at m/z=270.2 amu. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for determinations of DHEC in both plasma and urine were 25 pg/ml for injected sample volumes of 400 μl. Proportionality of signal responses versus concentration was accomplished within the range of 25–1000 pg/ml. Recovery of target analyte from plasma was 99%. Mean values of the coefficients of variation (CV) for the target analyte in plasma ranged from 1.7 to 13.8% (within-day) and 5.0 to 9.1% (between-day) and accuracy from 91.7 to 102.6% for the within-day and from 95.8 to 98.8% for the between-day measurements. The corresponding values for determinations in urine were 1.7–14.5% (within-day) and 5.3–11.8% (between-day) for CV and 95.8–110.7% (within-day) and 100.1–104.6% (between-day) for accuracy.