Isolation and identification of a pyrrolic glutathione conjugate metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline.

This report describes the isolation and identification of a monocrotaline-derived, glutathione-conjugated pyrrole obtained from the bile of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Bile obtained from rats given an intravenous bolus of 14C-monocrotaline was fractionated using a series of chromatographic separations. Initial purification with cholestyramine resin removed bile acid and pigment contaminants. Subsequent anion exchange and reversed-phase HPLC separations yielded several fractions that contained the 14C label and tested positive for pyrroles using Ehrlich's reagent. These fractions were analyzed using fast-atom-bombardment tandem mass spectrometry (FAB MS/MS). In addition to glutathione-conjugated dehydroretronecine, at least one other pyrrole present had similar ionic properties. The latter was not present in amounts sufficient for positive identification.