Determination of succinylcholine in plasma by high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

Abstract

The plasma concentration of the neuromuscular blocking drug, succinylcholine, is difficult to measure. We have measured concentrations of the breakdown product of succinylcholine, choline, to assess whether choline concentration gives an accurate measure of succinylcholine concentration. Choline concentration was measured by HPLC and electrochemical detection in two blood or plasma samples, one in which succinylcholine hydrolysis was inhibited by 10(-5) M physostigmine and another in which succinylcholine was completely hydrolysed in 20 min by 200 mU butyrylcholinesterase at 37 degrees C. The difference in choline content between the two samples gives the succinylcholine concentration. Ninety-five per cent recovery of choline was achieved. Choline standard curves were linear from 156 pmol ml-1 to 200 nmol ml-1. Within-day and between-day mean coefficients of variation for succinylcholine hydrolysis were small (mean (SD) 3.7% (1.2%) and 3.8% (1.6%), respectively). We conclude that this method of measuring succinylcholine concentration in blood is accurate, repeatable and relatively easy.

Adsorption and Stability of Suxamethonium and Its Major Hydrolysis Product Succinylmonocholine Using Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

“…4) This suggests that SMC may be excreted in human urine at a higher concentration than SUX, and that SMC would be a significant marker for the confirmation of SUX use. However, only a few studies of For the purpose of reliable identification of suxamethonium (SUX) use, the stability and adsorption of SUX and its specific hydrolysis product succinylmonocholine (SMC) were investigated under various storage conditions using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI MS).…”

“…1,4,5) In the analyses of unstable compounds such as SUX and SMC, the storage conditions of aqueous samples, including standard stock solution, used sample residues, and urine samples, are extremely important when the concentrations of the drugs are expected to be fairly low. It is well known that cationic compounds such as quaternary ammonium compounds readily adsorb to glassware.…”

Succinylmonocholine analytics as an example for selectivity problems in high‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and resulting implications for analytical toxicology

“…This is a legitimate approach for a strictly qualitative detection, yet it is not applicable in the present context as SMC, itself being the metabolite of the parent drug SUX, is metabolized yielding only endogenous substances (succinate and choline): a detection of the latter compounds is therefore by no means indicative of the presence of SMC or SUX in a given sample, and is even less useful for an attempt at quantitation of these drugs in a forensic setting. 18 Gergov et al chose a different approach and increased the peak-detection threshold for the transition being prone to an The minimum and maximum amounts of interference were determined to be 4.5 ng/ml SMC eq. and 107.8 (159.7) ng/mL SMC eq., respectively.…”

“…SUX-d 18 and SMC-d 3 were synthesized as previously described by Kuepper et al 13 SMC was first purchased from USP (Rockville, USA) and later synthesized by ourselves as described previously. 12 Succinylcholine, paraoxon, heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) and ammonium formate were obtained through Sigma Aldrich (Schnelldorf, Germany).…”

“…: 100 ng/mL) and further combined with 100 mL of internal standard solution (final conc. : 1 mg/mL of each SUX-d 18 and SMC-d 3 ).…”