Quantitative analyses of subnanomole quantities of the polyamines putrescine, cadaverhe, spermidine and spennine by the gas chromatography mass spectrometry technique of selected ion monitoring are complicated by effects of the chromatographic column. These effects include sample retention by the column and chromatographic band broadening, and are sufficiently serious that spennine (as the Muoroacetylated derivative) was not detectable at levels below 50 picomoles. Because the chromatographic behaviors of the four polyamines vary, quantiative analysis using a single internal standard is not feasible. The deuterated polyamine analogs, pufrescbe-aH,, cadaverine-s, spermidhe-'& and spermhe-*β¬&, have been synthesized and used to accomplish quantiative analyses of the corresponding isotopically natural abundance polyamines to the one picomole level. This enhancement in analytical sensitivity is accomplished by use of large excesses (3100 picomoles) of the deuterated analogs to improve chromatographic band profiles. The use of such Iarge molar excesses of deuterated analogs for selected ion monitoring analyses is possible because their electron impact spectra exhibit high mass ions ([M-F,C]+, [M-F,CCO]+} which possess 3 4 deuterium atoms and have intensity ratios (I&,,,.): ZH) of 500 or greater.
$ PutrescineZ7 and spermine" labeled with tritium have been prepared by a similar procedure.