Development of a LC–MS/MS method for determination of propofol-glucuronide in hair and preliminary study on relationships between dose and hair concentration

• Published in: Forensic science international 2020-01, Vol.306, p.110070-110070, Article 110070
• Main Authors: Kwon, Nam ji, Kim, Hyo Jeong, Cho, Sungnam, Lee, Min Ah, Han, Eunyoung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abuse; Adult; Analytical methods; Biological properties; Biological samples; Calibration; Centrifugation; Chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid; Distilled water; Drug dosages; Efficiency; Evaporation; Female; Forensic sciences; Forensic Toxicology; Gas flow; Glucuronides - administration & dosage; Glucuronides - analysis; Hair; Hair - chemistry; Hair analysis; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives - administration & dosage; Hypnotics and Sedatives - analysis; LC–MS/MS; Male; Mass spectrometry; Mathematical analysis; Metabolism; Metabolites; Methanol; Middle Aged; Propofol; Propofol - administration & dosage; Propofol - analysis; Propofol glucuronide; Questionnaires; Retention; Room temperature; Sample preparation; Sampling methods; Scientific imaging; Segmental hair analysis; Substance Abuse Detection - methods; Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Urine; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.110070

•The abuse of propofol have been reported steadily around the world.•Simple, fast, and sensitive method was established using LC–MS/MS.•The developed method for determination propofol glucuronide in hair was validated.•Segmental hair samples are able to identify chronic use of propofol.•The relationship between propofol use and analytical results was investigated. Propofol abuse has been reported worldwide, suggesting the need to establish analytical methods for human biological samples to investigate the abuse of propofol. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dose and hair concentration using a simple and rapid analytical method developed and validated in this study. In the sample preparation, hair samples were washed with distilled water and methanol and extracted in methanol during 16h at room temperature. After centrifugation and evaporation, the residue was reconstituted and filtered through a 0.22μm membrane filter before LC–MS/MS analysis. The precursor-to-product ion transitions were 353 → 175, 113 for propofol glucuronide and m/z 370 → 175, 113 for internal standard(propofol glucuronide-d17). The calibration curves were satisfactory (R2=0.9997) and the limits of detection and quantification were 2 and 5pg/mg, respectively. In addition, this study collected the history of propofol use from subjects using a questionnaire and analyzed subjects' hair samples using a validated analytical method. As a result, the concentrations of propofol glucuronide ranged from 7 to 122pg/mg (mean : 51pg/mg). There were cases of positive relationships, but generally there was no correlation between dose and hair concentration.