Enantiomeric separation of tramadol hydrochloride and its metabolites by cyclodextrin-mediated capillary zone electrophoresis

The enantiomeric separation of tramadol hydrochloride and its major metabolites, O-demethyltramadol (M1) and N-demethyltramadol (M2) was studied using cyclodextrin (CD)-mediated capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Influence of the choice of type and concentration of CD, capillary temperature, length of capillaries, buffer pH and the addition of polymer modifier on the chiral separation of tramadol and its metabolites was evaluated. It was found that the drug and the metabolites can be baseline-separated simultaneously by using 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) containing 75 mM methyl-β-CD, 220 mM urea and 0.05% (w/v) hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose.     

Non-statistical isotope fractionation as a novel “retro-biosynthetic” approach to understanding alkaloid metabolic pathways

During the biosynthesis of natural products, isotope fractionation occurs due to the selectivity of enzymes for the heavier or lighter isotopomers. As only some of the positions in the molecule are implicated in a given reaction mechanism, position-specific fractionation occurs. Thus, the position-specific ¹³C/¹²C ratios in these compounds can be related to their known precursors and to the known isotope effects of enzymes involved in their biosynthesis, or similar reaction mechanisms. This can be accessed by isotope ratio monitoring NMR spectrometry. In this short review, how isotope fractionation occurs and when it is manifest is described. Then, the way that ¹³C NMR spectrometry has been applied to study certain aspects of the biosynthesis of the solanaceous alkaloids S-(−)-nicotine and tropine is outlined. Notably, it is shown how similar isotope fractionation is found in the steps of the pathway to the common intermediate, N-methyl-Δ¹-pyrrolinium, but that in the moieties derived from different origins no such similarity is found, the isotopic composition of these atoms reflecting their specific metabolic ancestry. In a second example, tramadol, it is shown how this technique can be used in retro-biosynthesis to give direction as to what precursors and pathway intermediates are probable. It is shown how the observed fractionation in the site-specific ¹³C/¹²C ratios can be effectively explained by known metabolism and the properties of enzymes proposed for the pathway. Furthermore, it can give indications of possible mechanisms of those enzymes that are as yet to be described for a number of key steps.     

舒芬太尼、曲马多用于小儿鼾症手术苏醒期躁动的临床研究

目的：探究舒芬太尼与曲马多对用于小儿鼾症手术苏醒期躁动的作用与影响。方法：60例ASAI或II级扁桃体肥大或腺样体肥大的鼾症手术患儿,年龄6-14岁,无呼吸系统,循环系统等疾病,一般状态良好。随机分为舒芬太尼组（s组）和曲马多（T组）,每组各30例。常规监测各项生命体征。于手术结束前20分钟（min）,S组缓慢静脉输入0．15μg／kg舒芬太尼,T组静脉输入1．2mg／kg曲马多。观察各组的：平均动脉压 （MAP）、心率（HR）、血氧饱和度（SpO2）,进行各组的镇静评分（RSS）、躁动评分（RS）、镇痛评分（VRS）、意识状态评分（OAAS）。记录拔管前（T0）、拔管时（T1）、拔管后5min（T2）、拔管后10min（T3）、拔管后20min（T4）各时间点各参数的变化。记录各组的恶心呕吐、呼吸抑制、烦躁等的发生率。结果：SpO2各组间无显著差异。MAP,HR在各时间点的变化T组大于S组,P〈0．05,有显著差异。T组在RS,RSS,VRS评分与S组有显著差异,P〈0．05。结论：0．15μg／kg的舒芬太尼在小儿鼾症手术的苏醒期可以维持稳定的血流动力学,副作用小,镇痛效果良好,可以有效减少小儿苏醒期的躁动。     

曲马多代谢相关基因多态性研究进展

盐酸曲马多是临床中常用的弱阿片类药物,用于治疗中度疼痛,其镇痛效果介于弱罂粟碱和吗啡之间,临床中用于术后疼痛、牙痛、和其他疼痛,镇痛效果明显,安全性好。但是由于曲马多各基因型对其药物代谢行为的影响,在临床使用中,曲马多的镇痛效果和不良反应个体差异大。为了研究对比不同种族之间曲马多代谢等位基因的分布情况,作者通过检索,对不同的人种CYP2D6的不同活性,不同人种决定该酶活性的等位基因频率,不同基因型对曲马多代谢行为的影响进行综述。     

Validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography method for tramadol and o-desmethyltramadol in human plasma using solid-phase extraction

An HPLC system using solid-phase extraction and HPLC with UV detection has been validated in order to determine tramadol and o-desmethyltramadol (M1) concentrations in human plasma. The method developed was selective and linear for concentrations ranging from 50 to 3500 ng/ml (tramadol) and 50 to 500 ng/ml (M1) with mean recoveries of 94.36±12.53% and 93.52±7.88%, respectively. Limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 50 ng/ml. For tramadol, the intra-day accuracy ranged from 95.48 to 114.64% and the inter-day accuracy, 97.21 to 103.24%. Good precision (0.51 and 18.32% for intra- and inter-day, respectively) was obtained at LOQ. The system has been applied to determine tramadol concentrations in human plasma samples for a pharmacokinetic study.     

Analysis of interaction between etoricoxib and tramadol against mechanical hyperalgesia of spinal cord injury in rats

Drug combinations have the potential advantage of greater analgesia over monotherapy. The present study was aimed to assess any possible interaction (additive or potentiation) in the antinociceptive effects of etoricoxib; a novel cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, and tramadol; a typical opioid agonist when administered in combination against mechanical hyperalgesia induced by spinal cord injury in rats. The nature of interaction was analyzed using surface of synergistic interaction (SSI) analysis and an isobolographic analysis. Etoricoxib or tramadol when administered alone to rats, exhibited different antihyperalgesic potencies (ED50 etoricoxib: 0.58+/-0.19 mg/kg, po; ED50 tramadol: 9.85+/-0.57 mg/kg, po). However, both the drugs were found to be long acting against this model of hyperalgesia. Further, etoricoxib and tramadol were co-administered in fixed ratios of ED50 fractions. One combination (0.29/4.79 mg/kg, po: etoricoxib/tramadol) exhibited additivity and other three combinations (0.15/2.39, 0.08/1.19, and 0.04/0.59 mg/kg, po: etoricoxib/tramadol) resulted in potentiation when analyzed by SSI. The SSI was calculated from the total antihyperalgesic effect produced by the combination after the subtraction of the antihyperalgesic effect produced by each of the individual drug. In the isobolographic analysis, the experimental ED50 was found to be far below the line of additivity also indicating a significant (P < 0.05) synergistic antihyperalgesic effect when etoricoxib and tramadol was co-administered to rats. The synergistic antihyperalgesic effect of etoricoxib and tramadol combination suggests that these combinations may have clinical utility in mechanical hyperalgesia associated with spinal injury.     

Assay of tramadol in urine by capillary electrophoresis using laser-induced native fluorescence detection

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV laser-induced native fluorescence detection was developed as a sensitive and selective assay for the direct determination of tramadol in human urine without extraction or preconcentration. The main problem in CE is the small inner diameter of the capillary which causes a low sensitivity with instruments equipped with a UV detector. Laser-induced native fluorescence with a frequency doubled argon ion laser at an excitation wavelength of 257 nm was used for the direct assay of tramadol in urine to enhance the limit of detection about 1000-fold compared to UV absorption detection. The detection system consists of an imaging spectrograph and an intensified CCD camera, which views an illuminated 1.5 mm section of the capillary. This set-up is able to record the whole emission spectra of the analytes to achieve additionally wavelength-resolved electropherograms. In the concentration range of 20 ng/ml–5 μg/ml in human urine coefficients of correlation were better than 0.998. Within-day variation determined on four different concentrations showed accuracies ranging from 90.2 to 108.4%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was determined to be less than 10%. Day-to-day variation presented accuracies ranging from 90.9 to 103.1% with an RSD less than 8%.     

复方科博肽镇痛作用的实验研究

目的研究复方科博肽的镇痛作用。方法用小白鼠醋酸扭体和热水浴甩尾模型及大白鼠热水浴甩尾模型对复方科博肽的镇痛作用进行评价。结果复方科博肽在给药后1h对三种动物模型均有很好的镇痛作用,强度高于科博肽、盐酸曲马多及酮络芬,作用较曲马多持久;连续用药15天,复方科博肽的镇痛作用没有下降,给予纳络酮,复方组小鼠无异常反应。结论复方科博肽镇痛作用强,起效快,作用持久,连续使用不会产生耐受和依赖;其各组分间具有协同作用。     

Solid-phase extraction of tramadol from plasma and urine samples using a novel water-compatible molecularly imprinted polymer

In this study, a novel method is described for the determination of tramadol in biological fluids using molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) as the sample clean-up technique combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The water-compatible molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were prepared using methacrylic acid as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker, chloroform as porogen and tramadol as template molecule. The novel imprinted polymer was used as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent for the extraction of tramadol from human plasma and urine. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of the polymer have been evaluated. The optimal conditions for the MIP cartridges were studied. The MIP selectivity was evaluated by checking several substances with similar molecular structures to that of tramadol. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for tramadol in urine samples were 1.2 and 3.5 μg L⁻¹, respectively. These limits for tramadol in plasma samples were 3.0 and 8.5 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The recoveries for plasma and urine samples were higher than 91%.     

Automated determination of tramadol enantiomers in human plasma using solid-phase extraction in combination with chiral liquid chromatography

A sensitive and automated method for the separation and individual determination of tramadol enantiomers in plasma has been developed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) on disposable extraction cartridges (DECs) in combination with chiral liquid chromatography (LC). The SPE operations were performed automatically by means of a sample processor equipped with a robotic arm (ASPEC system). The DEC filled with ethyl silica (50 mg) was first conditioned with methanol and phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 A 1.0-ml volume of plasma was then applied on the DEC. The washing step was performed with the same buffer. The analytes were eluted with 0.15 ml of methanol, and 0.35 ml of phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, containing sodium perchlorate (0.2 M) were added to the extract before injection into the LC system. The enantiomeric separation of tramadol was achieved using a Chiralcel OD-R column containing cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) as chiral stationary phase. The mobile phase was a mixture of phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, containing sodium perchlorate (0.2 M) and acetonitrile (75:25). The mobile-phase pH and the NaClO₄ concentration were optimized with respect to enantiomeric resolution. The method developed was validated. Recoveries for both enantiomers of tramadol were about 100%. The method was found to be linear in the 2.5–150 ng/ml concentration range [r²=0.999 for (+)- and (−)-tramadol]. The repeatability and intermediate precision at a concentration of 50 ng/ml were 6.5 and 8.7% for (+)-tramadol and 6.1 and 7.6% for (−)-tramadol, respectively.