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Validated HPLC-MS/MS Method To Quantify Low Levels of Domoic Acid in Plasma and Urine after Subacute Exposure
Sara Shum1, Jay S Kirkwood1, Jing Jing1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Washington National Primate Research Center, Center on Human Development and Disability, and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Health Sciences Building, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.
Abstract:
Domoic acid (DA) is a marine neurotoxin produced by several species of Pseudo-nitzschia. DA causes severe neurological toxicity in humans and animals. To address the current analytical need to quantify low levels of DA in human and animal body fluids, a sensitive and selective high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to measure DA in plasma and urine. This method was fully validated to accurately and precisely quantify DA between 0.31 and 16 ng/mL in plasma and between 7.8 and 1000 ng/mL in urine. Our group introduced the use of a novel internal standard, tetrahydrodomoic acid to control for matrix effects and other sources of variability. This validated method will be useful to assess DA concentrations in biological samples of human or animal origin after suspected DA exposure from contaminated food. It will also be applicable to sentinel programs and research studies to analyze body fluids with low levels of DA.
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