Metformin (N,N-
dimethylguanylguanidine) is one of the most prescribed drugs with pleiotropic, exerted in part by not fully elucidated mechanisms of action. We developed and validated a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the quantitative analysis of
metformin (metformin-d0) in 10-µL aliquots of human serum and urine using N,N-[dimethylo-2H6]guanylguanidine (metformin-d6) as the internal standard. The method involves evaporation of the samples to dryness, derivatization with pentafluoropropionic (PFP)
anhydride in
ethyl acetate (30 min, 65 °C), and extraction into
toluene. The negative-ion chemical ionization GC-MS spectra of the PFP derivatives contain a single intense ion with mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios of m/z 383 for metformin-d0 and m/z 389 for metformin-d6. Our results suggest that all
amine/
imine groups of metformin-d0 and metformin-d6 are converted to their N,N,N-tripentafluoropropionyl derivatives, which cyclize to form a symmetric
triazine derivative, of which the non-ring
amine group is amidated. Quantification was performed by selected-ion monitoring (SIM) of m/z 383 and m/z 389. Upon validation, the method was applied to determine serum and urine
metformin concentrations in 19 patients with
Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). Serum and urine samples were collected at baseline (Visit I), after six weeks of supplementation (Visit II) with
metformin (3 × 500 mg/d;
metformin group; n = 10) or l-
citrulline (3 × 1500 mg/d;
citrulline group; n = 9) followed by a six-week supplementation with 3 × 500 mg/d of
metformin plus 3 × 1500 mg/d l-
citrulline. At Visit I, the
metformin concentration in the serum and urine was very low in both groups. The
metformin concentrations in the serum and urine of the patients who first took
metformin (MET group) were higher at Visit II and Visit III. The
metformin concentration in the serum and urine samples of the patients who first took l-
citrulline (CITR group) were higher at Visit III. The serum and urine concentrations of
metformin were insignificantly lower in the CITR group at Visit III. The mean fractional excretion (FE) rate of
metformin was 307% (Visit II) and 322% (Visit III) in the MET group, and 290% in the CITR group (Visit III). This observation suggests the accumulation of
metformin in the kidney and its secretion in the urine. The GC-MS is suitable to measure reliably circulating and excretory
metformin in clinical settings.