Analysis of vitamin D and its metabolites using thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A new method is described for the analysis of vitamin D and its metabolites utilizing thermospray (TSP) mass spectrometry as an on-line detector for high performance liquid chromatography. Ionization conditions were optimized for use with isocratic reversed phase chromatography. TSP mass spectrometry was employed in series with a UV absorbance detector to facilitate comparisons between the two methods of detection. Positive ion TSP mass spectra were recorded for vitamin D2, vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2D3). The spectra contained protonated molecular ions, ammonium adduct ions and fragment ions due to the loss of one or more molecules of water. A comparison of quantitative precision was made by determining UV absorbance and TSP standard curves for vitamin D3 using two different methods: (1) External standard method with post-column (post UV detector) addition of ammonium acetate. (2) As (1) but using the method of internal standards with a closely eluting internal standard (vitamin D2). In each case the quantitative precision (correlation coefficient) for UV absorbance detection was superior owing to intrinsic instability of the TSP ion beam. A stable isotopically labelled internal standard was employed in the development of an assay for 1,25(OH)2D3. The assay was used to quantify in vitro enzymic conversion of 25(OH)D3 to 1,25(OH)2D3 in guinea pig and sheep renal mitochondrial incubations. TSP LC/MS was also applied to analysis of an extract of human blood plasma in which D3 and each of its principal metabolites were identified in a single analysis.