Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Apr 10.
Published in final edited form as: Anal Chem. 2013 Nov 19;85(23):11576–11584. doi: 10.1021/ac402777k

Figure 1. Molecular imaging by MALDI-FTICR-MSI of corticosteroid derivatives prepared with Girard T reagent (GirT) in representative rat adrenal gland sections.

Figure 1

Molecular regional distribution maps showed GirT-CORT (m/z 460.31713) and GirT-11DHC (m/z 458.30139) in high abundance in the zona fasciculata/reticularis (site of glucocorticoids synthesis) with mass accuracy of ±5 ppm from their theoretical monoisotopic masses and (S/N) signal to noise ratios above 100. (a) Derivatization of corticosterone and 11-dehydrocorticosterone with GirT. (b) Histological image of a cryosection of rat adrenal gland stained with haematoxylin and eosin (ZG = zona glomerulosa; ZFR = zona fasciculata reticularis). Heat map of GirT derivatives of: (c) corticosterone (GirT-CORT) at m/z 460.31698±0.025Da; and (d) 11-dehydrocorticosterone (GirT-11DHC) at m/z 458.30133±0.025Da, collated by MALDIFTICR-MS. Signal intensity is depicted by color on the scale shown. Simulated theoretical isotopic distribution pattern of: (e) GirT-CORT; and (f) GirT-11DHC. (g) Representative FTICR-MS spectrum of corticosteroid hydrazones in rat adrenal gland, showing excellent agreement with theoretical mass. TFA= Trifluoroacetic acid. MeOH = Methanol. Mw = molecular weight (Da). cps = counts per second. Scale bar (2mm).