Application of infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for morphine imaging in brain tissue

• Published in: Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry Vol. 415; no. 23; pp. 5809 - 5817
• Main Authors: Desyaterik, Yury, Mwangi, Joseph N., McRae, MaryPeace, Jones, Austin M., Kashuba, Angela D. M., Rosen, Elias P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-09-2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abacavir; Analysis; Analytical Chemistry; Animal tissues; Antiretroviral agents; Biochemistry; Brain; Calibration; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Desorption; Electrospraying; Food Science; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humidity; Infrared lasers; Investigations; Ionization; Ions; Laboratory Medicine; Lasers; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Methods; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Morphine; Neuroimaging; Pharmacy; Research Paper; Scientific imaging; Sensitivity analysis; Spatial analysis; Spatial distribution; Tissues; United States; Morphine; MALDESI; Mass spectrometry imaging
• ISSN: 1618-2642; 1618-2650
• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04861-x

Here, we present a method developed for the analysis of spatial distributions of morphine in mouse brain tissue using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) coupled to a Q Exactive Plus mass spectrometer. The method is also capable of evaluating spatial distributions of the antiretroviral drug abacavir. To maximize sensitivity to morphine, we analyze various Orbitrap mass spectrometry acquisition modes utilizing signal abundance and frequency of detection as evaluation criteria. We demonstrate detection of morphine in mouse brain and establish that the selected ion monitoring mode provides 2.5 times higher sensitivity than the full-scan mode. We find that distributions of morphine and abacavir are highly correlated with the Pearson correlation coefficient
R
 = 0.87. Calibration showed that instrument response is linear up to 40 pg/mm
2
(3.8 μg/g of tissue).
Graphical abstract