Comparison of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis for in vivo estimates of metabolic fluxes

Abstract Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was compared with gas chromatography–combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC–C–IRMS) for measurements of cholesterol 13 C enrichment after infusion of labeled precursor ([ 13 C 1,2 ]acetate). Paired results were significantly correlated, although GC–MS was less accurate than GC–C–IRMS for higher enrichments. Nevertheless, only GC–MS was able to provide information on isotopologue distribution, bringing new insights to lipid metabolism. Therefore, we assessed the isotopologue distribution of cholesterol in humans and dogs known to present contrasted cholesterol metabolic pathways. The labeled tracer incorporation was different in both species, highlighting the subsidiarity of GC–MS and GC–C–IRMS to analyze in vivo stable isotope studies.