Determination of oxycodone, noroxycodone and oxymorphone by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry in human matrices: in vivo and in vitro applications

J Anal Toxicol. 2013 Jul-Aug;37(6):337-44. doi: 10.1093/jat/bkt042. Epub 2013 Jun 5.

Abstract

The opioid analgesic oxycodone is widely abused and increasingly associated with overdose deaths. A sensitive analytical method was developed for oxycodone and its metabolites, noroxycodone and oxymorphone, in human plasma, urine (±enzymatic hydrolysis at 50°C for 16 h) and liver microsomes (HLMs). Liquid-liquid extraction was followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The calibration range was 0.2-250 ng/mL for plasma and HLM and 10-5000 ng/mL for urine. Intra- and interrun accuracies were within 13.3% of target; precisions were within 12.8% for all matrices. Recoveries from plasma were: oxycodone, 75.6%; noroxycodone, 37.4% and oxymorphone, 18.2%. Analytes exhibited room temperature stability in plasma and urine up to 24 h, and freeze-thaw stability in plasma up to three cycles. In 24-h hydrolyzed urine from subjects administered intranasal oxycodone (30 mg/70 kg, n = 5), mean concentrations (ng/mL) and % daily doses excreted were: oxycodone, 1150, 6.53%; noroxycodone, 1330, 7.81% and oxymorphone, 3000, 17.1%. Oxycodone incubated with HLM produced more noroxycodone than oxymorphone. With a panel of recombinant human cytochrome P450s (CYPs), CYP2C18 and CYP3A4 produced the most noroxycodone, whereas CYP2D6 produced the most oxymorphone. These results demonstrate a new method suitable for both in vivo and in vitro metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies of oxycodone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / blood
  • Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases / metabolism
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 / metabolism
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Liquid-Liquid Extraction
  • Microsomes, Liver / chemistry
  • Morphinans / blood*
  • Morphinans / urine
  • Oxycodone / blood*
  • Oxycodone / urine
  • Oxymorphone / blood*
  • Oxymorphone / urine
  • Quality Control
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Specimen Handling
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Morphinans
  • noroxycodone
  • Oxymorphone
  • Oxycodone
  • Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases
  • CYP2C18 protein, human
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A
  • CYP3A4 protein, human