Measurement of mevalonic acid in human urine by bench top gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Urinary excretion of mevalonate was reported to be correlated with endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis. A method is described whereby mevalonate (MVA) concentration in urine is determined by bench top gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after extraction as mevalonolactone (MVL) and conversion to mevalonolactone mono-TMS derivative. Within- and between-assay coefficients of variation were 4.02% and 8%, respectively. The mean concentration of MVA in 24-h urine collections from ten normolipidemic urinary subjects was 203 +/- 49.6 ng/ml (range: 44-576 ng/ml). Administration of 40 mg of Pravastatin (an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) significantly decreased (approximate to 50%) the night concentration of MVA in five healthy volunteers. This assay could be useful for investigation of endogenous cholesterol synthesis rate in various dyslipidemias and in response to drug treatment.