METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENTS OF TRACES OF HEPTADEUTERATED CHOLESTEROL AND CHOLESTEROL BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY - APPLICATION IN HUMANS

An assay was developed to quantify deuterated cholesterol (used as a t racer) and cholesterol using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Erg osterol and epicoprostanol were used as internal standards. Deuterated cholesterol was quantified by comparing its peak area to that of epic oprostanol and cholesterol to ergosterol. The mean absolute recovery i n spiked serum was 99.96%; the precision was in the range 0.16-10.9% a nd accuracy 90.4-100%; the limit of detection in plasma was 3.10(-5) m mol l(-1). Using two internal standards, the method described herein s eems particularly suitable for application in humans i.e., measuring t races of deuterated cholesterol (range: 0-6.26.10(-4) mmol l(-1)) alon g with natural cholesterol (range: 0.065-4.42 mmol l(-1)) in human pla sma and lipid fractions postprandially. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.