Gas-Phase Separation of Drugs and Metabolites Using Modifier-Assisted Differential Ion Mobility Spectrometry Hyphenated to Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis and Mass Spectrometry

The present work describes an alternative generic approach to LC–MS for the analysis of drugs of abuse as well as their metabolites in post-mortem tissue samples. The platform integrates liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) for analytes tissue extraction followed by differential ion mobility spectrometry (DMS) mass spectrometry for analytes gas phase separation. Detection is performed on a triple quadrupole linear ion trap using the selected reaction monitoring mode for quantification as well as product ion scan mode for structural confirmatory analyses. The major advantages of the platform are that neither chromatographic separation nor extensive sample preparation are required. In DMS the combination of a high separation voltage (i.e., up to 4 kV) together with organic modifiers (e.g., alcohols, acetonitrile, acetone) added in the drift gas is required to achieve the separation of isomeric metabolites, such as the ones of cocaine and tramadol. DMS also separates morphine from its glucuronide metabolites, which allows for preventing the overestimation of morphine in case of fragmentation of the glucuronides in the atmospheric-to-vacuum interface of the mass spectrometer. Cocaine, opiates, opioids, amphetamines, benzodiazepines and several of their metabolites could be identified in post-mortem human kidney and muscle tissue based on simultaneous screening and confirmatory analysis in data-dependent acquisition mode using an analyte-dependent compensation voltage to selectively transmit ions through the DMS cell to the mass analyzer. Quantitative performance of the LESA-DMS-MS platform was evaluated for cocaine and two of its metabolites spotted onto a tissue section using deuterated internal standard. Analyte’s responses were linear from 2 to 1000 pg on tissue corresponding to a limit of detection in the order of nanograms of analyte per gram of tissue. Accuracy and precision based on QC sample was found to be less than 10%. Replicate analyses of cocaine and its metabolites in forensic samples showed an intra- and inter-sections variability of less than 25%

Integration of Ion Mobility MS^E after Fully Automated, Online, High-Resolution Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Micro-Liquid Chromatography

Direct analysis by mass spectrometry (imaging) has become increasingly deployed in preclinical and clinical research due to its rapid and accurate readouts. However, when it comes to biomarker discovery or histopathological diagnostics, more sensitive and in-depth profiling from localized areas is required. We developed a comprehensive, fully automated online platform for high-resolution liquid extraction surface analysis (HR-LESA) followed by micro–liquid chromatography (LC) separation and a data-independent acquisition strategy for untargeted and low abundant analyte identification directly from tissue sections. Applied to tissue sections of rat pituitary, the platform demonstrated improved spatial resolution, allowing sample areas as small as 400 μm to be studied, a major advantage over conventional LESA. The platform integrates an online buffer exchange and washing step for removal of salts and other endogenous contamination that originates from local tissue extraction. Our carry over–free platform showed high reproducibility, with an interextraction variability below 30%. Another strength of the platform is the additional selectivity provided by a postsampling gas-phase ion mobility separation. This allowed distinguishing coeluted isobaric compounds without requiring additional separation time. Furthermore, we identified untargeted and low-abundance analytes, including neuropeptides deriving from the pro-opiomelanocortin precursor protein and localized a specific area of the pituitary gland (i.e., adenohypophysis) known to secrete neuropeptides and other small metabolites related to development, growth, and metabolism. This platform can thus be applied for the in-depth study of small samples of complex tissues with histologic features of ∼400 μm or more, including potential neuropeptide markers involved in many diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, bulimia, and anorexia nervosa