Quantifying Methylergonovine Using LC–MS–MS

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A team of researchers from China and the USA has developed a liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) method for quantifying methylergonovine (ME), a semi-synthetic ergot alkaloid used for the treatment and prevention of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), in human plasma.¹ PPH results in 44,000 to 86,000 deaths each year around the world, making it the leading cause of death during pregnancy.

ME has been used more recently in the control of refractory headaches and can be used as a chemosensitizer for cancer. However, this alkaloid sometimes causes elevated blood pressure, and so quantification in biological matrices is necessary.

The team extracted ME from 500-μL plasma samples using liquid–liquid extraction under alkaline conditions and detected using positive multi-reaction-monitoring mode (+MRM) mass spectrometry (MS). The method was validated according to US FDA guidelines and covered a working range from 0.025 to 10 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.025 ng/mL.

The team concluded that they have developed a rapid, sensitive, selective, and accurate LC–MS–MS method, which was successfully applied to a clinical pharmacokinetics study in female volunteers. They determined that it is suitable for both preclinical and clinical studies on ME. - K.M

Reference

• Hongxiang Lou et al., Journal of Chromatography B1011, 62–68 (2016).