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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Sample Preparation for Metabolic Profiling using MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Published on: December 22, 2020
MALDI-tandem mass spectrometry imaging of astemizole and its primary metabolite in rat brain sections
Fangbiao Li1, Yunsheng Hsieh, Ling Kang
1Department of Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics, Schering-Plough Research Institute, 2015 Galloping Hill Road, K-15-3700, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA.
Background:
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS)/MS is a proven reliable tool for visualizing the spatial distribution of dosed drugs and their primary metabolites in animal tissue sections.
Materials & Methods:
The rat brain tissue sections coated with dihydroxybenzoic acid as matrix, were analyzed by MALDI-MS/MS imaging experiments. The potential metabolites of astemizole in rat brain homogenate selected for MALDI-MS/MS imaging experiments were first identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization source and a hybrid-quadrupole-linear-ion-trap mass spectrometer.
Results:
Astemizole was observed to be heterogeneously distributed to most parts of the brain tissue slices including the cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamic, thalamus and ventricle regions, while its major metabolite, desmethylastemizole, was only found around ventricle sites.
Conclusion:
The results indicated that the dosed compound alone might be responsible for the CNS side-effects when drug exposures became elevated.
