Simple Analysis of Tetracyclic Antidepressants in Blood using Headspace-Solid-Phase Microextraction and GC-MS

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Abstract
A simple and sensitive method for analysis of three tetracyclic antidepressants, maprotiline, mianserin, and setiptiline, in human whole blood was developed using headspace-solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A vial containing a blood sample, sodium hydroxide, and imipramine as an internal standard was heated at 120°C. The extraction fiber of the SPME was exposed for 45 rain in the headspace of the vial. The compounds absorbed on the fiber were desorbed by exposing the fiber in the injection port of a GC-MS. The calibration curves, using an internal standard method, demonstrated good linearity throughout the concentration range from 0.005 to 5.0 µg/g for mianserin and setiptiline and from 0.025 to 25 µg/g for maprotiline. No interferences were found, and the time for analysis was 60 min for one sample. In addition, this proposed method was applied to a medicolegal case in which the cause of death was suspected to be acute setiptiline poisoning. Setiptiline was detected in the left and right heart blood samples of the victim at concentrations of 1.77 and 0.78 µg/g, respectively.

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