An improved Ultra-High Performance Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous quantitation of cytochrome P450 metabolites of arachidonic acid in human plasma

This study aims to develop a straightforward, sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method to quantify 15 eicosanoids derived from arachidonic acid in human plasma. Tert-Butyl methyl ether was used on the liquid-liquid extraction method and significantly reduced the expense and time. The method showed excellent linearity for all analytes, with regression coefficients higher than 0.99 over a wide range of concentrations from 0.01 ng mL−1 to 100 ng mL−1. The recovery rates were over 65.00%, and the matrix effects ranged from 8.42% to 40.00%. The limits of detection ranged from 6 pg mL−1 to 10 pg mL−1, and all of the limits of quantification were 20 − 33 pg mL−1. For the broad concentration range, the RE% for accuracy and precision were less than ± 15%. Moreover, trans-4-{4-[3-(4-Trifluoromethoxyphenyl)-ureido] cyclohexyloxy} benzoic acid (t-TUCB) pretreatment extended the window of detection for as much as 30 days. Eicosanoid signaling is altered in various neurological diseases, including pain, Alzheimer's disease and major depressive disorder. Therefore, this rapid, robust quantitative profiling of 15 eicosanoids in plasma could provide a distinct eicosanoid fingerprint for precision medicine in these patients.