Analysis of neuropeptide Y and its metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and integrated sample clean-up with a novel restricted-access sulphonic acid cation exchanger.

A novel restricted access cation exchanger with sulphonic acid groups at the internal surface was proven to be highly suitable in the sample clean up of peptides on-line coupled to HPLC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and several of its fragments in plasma were subjected to the sample clean-up procedure. The peptides were eluted by a step gradient from the restricted access column, applying 10 mM phosphate buffer pH 3.5 from 5 to 20% (v/v) of acetonitrile with 1 M NaCl and transferred to a Micra ODS II column (33x4.6 mm). The separation of the peptides and their fragments was performed by a linear gradient from 20 to 60% (v/v) acetonitrile in water with 0.1% formic ac…