Depth-profiling of environmental pharmaceuticals in biological tissue by solid-phase microextraction.

The parallel in vivo measurement of chemicals at various locations in living tissues is an important approach furthering our understanding of biological uptake, transportation, and transformation dynamics. However, from a technical perspective, such measurements are difficult to perform with traditional in vivo sampling techniques, especially in freely moving organisms such as fish. These technical challenges can be well addressed by the proposed depth-profiling solid-phase microextraction (DP-SPME) technique, which utilizes a single soft, flexible fiber with high spatial resolution. The analytical accuracy and depth-profiling capability of DP-SPME was established in vitro within a multilayer gel system and an onion artificially contaminated with pharmaceuticals. In vivo efficacy was demonstrated by monitoring pharmaceutical distribution and accumulation in fish muscle tissue. The DP-SPME method was validated against pre-equilibrium SPME (using multiple small fibers), equilibrium SPME, and liquid extraction methods; results indicated DP-SPME significantly improved precision and data quality due to decreased intersample variation. No significant adverse effects or increases in mortality were observed in comparisons of fish sampled by DP-SPME relative to comparable fish not sampled by this method. Consequently, the simplicity, effectiveness, and improved precision of the technique suggest the potential for widespread application of DP-SPME in the sampling of heterogeneous biotic and abiotic systems.

Kinetically-calibrated solid-phase microextraction using label-free standards and its application for pharmaceutical analysis.

Pre-equilibrium solid-phase microextraction (PE-SPME) has attracted considerable research attention due to shorter sampling times and better temporal resolution than afforded by equilibrium SPME (E-SPME). However, the calibration of PE-SPME is often time-consuming and requires deuterated calibrants, which if available, are often expensive. To address these challenges, we propose a simple but versatile kinetic calibration method, in which nonisotopic (label-free) compounds of interest can supplant the use of deuterated analogues, and the need to determine partitioning coefficients inherent to earlier procedures has been eliminated. Using this approach, both free and total concentrations of analytes can be simultaneously measured within complex sample systems with high accuracy and precision. This calibration method was validated against established E-SPME and solid-phase extraction techniques through the measurement of selected pharmaceuticals in progressively complex matrixes including inorganic buffers, fish blood, and municipal wastewater effluents. This calibration approach may significantly improve time and cost-effectiveness, while improving the application of the SPME approach within highly dynamic systems.

Solid-phase microextraction coupled to LC-ESI-MS/MS: evaluation and correction for matrix-induced ionization suppression/enhancement for pharmaceutical analysis in biological and environmental samples.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) has been widely used to analyze biological fluids, tissues, and environmental matrixes for a variety of organic compounds including pharmaceuticals. However, effects of the sample matrix coextracted by SPME on tandem mass spectrometry analysis have not been systematically investigated. In this study, we characterized the complexity of matrix effects (ME) by analyzing SPME extracts of fish muscle and brain tissue, blood, and bile, as well as tap water, surface water, and the influent and effluent from a wastewater treatment plant. Significant enhancement or suppression of ionization (>15%) was observed with all biological and environmental samples. Intrasample ME variability was assessed through comparison of multiple samples from the same sample matrix, while intersample variability between different experimental subjects or varying sample treatment, storage, and sampling conditions were evaluated. To correct for ME, an isotopic internal standard (IIS) method was developed, with the strengths and limitations of the approach discussed. This study provides a framework for applying SPME within complex sample systems where the influences of ME are inevitable, thus ensuring more accurate quantitation of analytes during biological and environmental analysis.

Pre-equilibrium solid-phase microextraction of free analyte in complex samples: correction for mass transfer variation from protein binding and matrix tortuosity.

The accurate measurement of free analyte concentrations within complex sample matrixes by pre-equilibrium solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has proven challenging due to variations in mass uptake kinetics. For the first time, the effects of the sample binding matrix and tortuosity on the kinetics of analyte extraction (from the sample to the SPME fiber) are demonstrated to be quantitatively symmetrical with those of the desorption of preloaded deuterated standards (from the fiber to the sample matrix). Consequently, kinetic calibration methods can be employed to correct for variation in SPME sampling kinetics, facilitating the application of pre-equilibrium SPME within complex sample systems. This approach was applied ex vivo to measure pharmaceuticals in fish muscle tissues, with results consistent with those obtained from equilibrium SPME and microdialysis. The developed method has the inherent advantages of being more accurate, precise, and reproducible, thus providing the framework for applications where rapid measurement of free analyte concentrations (within complicated sample matrixes such as biological tissues, sediment, and surface water) are required.

Temporal resolution of solid-phase microextraction: measurement of real-time concentrations within a dynamic system.

To address the challenge of measuring real-time analyte concentrations within dynamic systems, the temporal resolution of the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) approach has been investigated. A mass-uptake model for SPME within a dynamic system was developed and validated, with experimental factors affecting the temporal resolution (sampling time, agitation, SPME fiber dimensions, sample concentration and change rate, and instrument sensitivity) characterized. Calibration methods for time-resolved sampling in a dynamic system were compared. To demonstrate the efficacy of time-resolved SPME, this approach was successfully applied to investigate the binding kinetics between plasma proteins and pharmaceuticals, which verified a decrease in free pharmaceutical concentrations over time in the presence of bovine serum albumin. The current study provides the theoretical and logistical framework for applying SPME to the real-time measurement of dynamic systems, facilitating future SPME applications such as in vivo metabolomic studies.