Parallel Reaction Monitoring Mode for Atenolol Quantification in Dried Plasma Spots by Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

In this study, we reported a rapid, sensitive, robust, and validated method for atenolol quantification in dried plasma spots (DPS) by liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) using parallel reaction monitoring mode (PRM). Aliquots of 25 mu L human plasma were placed onto Whatman 903 Cards and air-dried. Disks (3.2 mm internal diameter) were punched, and a 100 mu L working internal standard solution was added to each sample and then incubated on a shaker for 15 min at 40 degrees C, followed by rapid centrifugation (10,000x g, 10 s). The supernatant was transferred into 300 mu L vials for subsequent LC-HRMS analysis. After chromatographic separation, atenolol and the internal standard were quantified in positive-ion parallel reaction monitoring mode by detection of all target product ions at 10 ppm tolerances. The total time of the analysis was 5 min. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 5-1000 ng/mL with interday and intraday precision levels and biases of <14.4%, and recovery was 62.9-81.0%. The atenolol in DPS was stable for >= 30 days at 25 and 4 degrees C. This fully validated method is selective and suitable for atenolol quantitation in DPS using LC-HRMS.

Automated summary

In this study, a rapid and sensitive method for quantifying atenolol in dried plasma spots (DPS) using liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was developed and validated. The method showed good selectivity and stability, and was suitable for atenolol quantification in DPS.