Gas chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric quantification of human plasma and urinary nitrate after its reduction to nitrite and derivatization tothe pentafluorobenzyl derivative

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of nitrite as its pentafluorob enzyl derivative in the negative-ion chemical ionization mode is a useful a nalytical tool to quantify accurately and sensitively nitrite and nitrate a fter its reduction to nitrite in various biological fluids. In the present study we demonstrate the utility of GC-tandem MS to quantify nitrate in hum an plasma and urine. Our present results verify human plasma and urine leve ls of nitrite and nitrate measured previously by GC-MS. (C) 1999 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.