Simultaneous determination of citalopram and its metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography with column switching and fluorescence detection by direct plasma injection

High-performance liquid chromatography with a successive column-switching technique was developed for simultaneous determination of citalopram and its four metabolites in plasma. Plasma samples were injected directly, and the target compounds were purified and concentrated with an inexpensive commercial octadecyl guard column. Then, the six-port valve was switched, and the compounds retained in the column were eluted by the back-flush method using 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 4.6)-acetonitrile (70:30, v/v) containing 0.1% diethylamine and separated with an ODS column. The compounds were assayed with a fluorescence detector at an excitation wavelength of 249 nm and an emission wavelength of 302 nm. At least 30 plasma samples could be treated with an octadecyl guard column. The limits of quantitation of this method were 2.0 ng/ml for citalopram, desmethylcitalopram, didesmethylcitalopram, citalopram propionic acid and citalopram N-oxide. This method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study in dogs and a toxicokinetic study in rats.     

Determination of plasma homocysteine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Severe homocystinemia is frequently associated with vascular disease while the pathological consequences of moderate or slightly elevated plasma homocysteine are unknown. Cobalamin and folate deficiencies may result in an elevation of plasma homocysteine. A sensitive and reproducible assay for total plasma homocysteine has been developed. The essential steps in the assay include (i) conversion of homocysteine disulfides to free homocysteine with borohydride reduction; (ii) conjugation of homocysteine with monobromobimane; (iii) separation of homocysteine-bimane from other plasma thiol-bimane adducts by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography; and (iv) detection and quantitation of homocysteine-bimane by fluorometry. The method has a sensitivity of 4.4 pmol of homocysteine and is highly reproducible (intra- and interassay coefficients of variation = 4.97 and 4.53%, respectively). The mean concentration of total plasma homocysteine in nonfasting adult males (n = 12) and females (n = 12) was 15.8 (range, 7.0-23.7) and 16.5 nmol/ml (range, 8.6-20.7), respectively. Markedly elevated levels of homocysteine were found in patients with cobalamin and folate deficiency. Total plasma homocysteine represents approximately 4% of borohydride-generated thiol reactivity in the plasma of normal individuals.     

Determination of plasma ziprasidone using liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A liquid chromatographic procedure was developed for the determination of a new antipsychotic agent ziprasidone in plasma using fluorescence detection. A one-step liquid-liquid extraction from 1 ml of alkalinized plasma containing an internal standard alpha-ergocryptine using methyl-t-butyl ether afforded a greater than 84% recovery of ziprasidone. Chromatography was performed using a reversed-phase trimethylsilyl bonded silica column with a mobile phase of 72:28 phosphate buffer:acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1.5 ml/min. Detection of the eluted peaks was observed using excitation and emission wavelengths of 320 and 410 nm, respectively. Chromatographic run time did not exceed 14 min with no interference from endogenous material. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 0.5 to 200 ng/ml and the inter- and intra-assay imprecision (CV) was less than 10%. The lower limit of quantitation was assessed at 0.5 ng/ml. Specificity of the method is demonstrated by the lack of interference from a large number of commonly used drugs and their metabolites in clinical use. The utility of the method is exemplified with the presentation of clinical data from patients receiving ziprasidone.     

Determination of formaldehyde in blood plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

An HPLC method was developed for the determination of formaldehyde in human blood plasma. The method was based on the determination of the fluorescent product of the chemical reaction between formaldehyde and ampicillin. A 0.2-ml aliquot of blood plasma was reacted directly with ampicillin under acidic and heating conditions. The reaction product was extracted from the matrix with diethyl ether and analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. Recoveries of spiked formaldehyde at the low ppm (μg/ml) level were between 93% and 102% with relative standard deviations less than 8%. The limits of detection and quantitation of formaldehyde in blood plasma samples were 0.46 μg/ml and 0.87 μg/ml, respectively.     

Determination of amlodipine in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A sensitive and specific HPLC method has been developed for the assay of amlodipine in human plasma. The assay involves derivatization with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD-Cl), solid-phase extraction on a silica column and isocratic reversed-phase chromatography with fluorescence detection. Nortriptyline hydrochloride was used as an internal standard. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.25–18.00 ng/ml. Both of the within-day and day-to-day reproducibility and accuracy were less than 11.80% and 12.00%, respectively. The plasma profile following a single administration of 10 mg amlodipine to a healthy volunteer was presented.     

Determination of physostigmine in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection

Physostigmine (PHY) is an anticholinergic drug used in the treatment of neuromuscular disorders and organophosphate poisoning. We described a sensitive, accurate, and reproducible method for PHY determination in biological materials. The method utilized a liquid/liquid, ion pair extraction, normal phase HPLC separation, and fluorometric quantitation at 240 nm excitation and 360 nm emission wavelength. We used neostigmine as a stabilizing agent to protect PHY from degradation and dimethylphysostigmine as an internal standard. The peak-height ratio vs concentration was linear over a working range from 0.50 to 25.0 ng/ml of PHY in plasma. Sensitivity of the method was 100 pg/ml of plasma which was the limit of quantitative detection under the experimental conditions used. Precision of the method was evaluated using plasma spiked with two concentrations of PHY: 1.0 and 10.0 ng/ml. Intra-day coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 3.8 to 5.3%, and inter-day CV ranged from 1.8 to 3.6% for the two levels. The average recovery was 92%. We applied the method to examine the stability of PHY in plasma stored at -15 and -80 degrees C. The data indicated that PHY can be stored at either temperature for 9 weeks without undergoing significant alterations.     

Determination of dihydroergotamine in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Dihydroergotamine, a 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist, is used for the treatment of vascular headaches. A high-performance liquid chromatography assay with fluorescence detection is described for the determination of dihydroergotamine in plasma. The assay was validated over the concentration range 0.1–10 ng/ml plasma and applied to the analysis of plasma samples from subjects treated intramuscularly and intranasally with 2 mg of dihydroergotamine.     

Simultaneous determination of citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and their metabolites in plasma and whole blood by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection

A method for the simultaneous determination of the three selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and their metabolites in whole blood and plasma was developed. Sample clean-up and separation were achieved using a solid-phase extraction method with C₈ non-endcapped columns followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and ultraviolet detection. The robustness of the solid-phase extraction method was tested for citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, Cl-citalopram and the internal standard, protriptyline, using a fractional factorial design with nine factors at two levels. The fractional factorial design showed two significant effects for paroxetine in whole blood. The robustness testing for citalopram, fluoxetine, Cl-citalopram and the internal standard revealed no significant main effects in whole blood and plasma. The optimization and the robustness of the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation were investigated with regard to pH and relative amount of acetonitrile in the mobile phase by a central composite design circumscribed. No alteration in the elution order and no significant change in resolution for a deviation of ±1% acetonitrile and ±0.3 pH units from the specified conditions were observed. The method was validated for the concentration range 0.050–5.0 μmol/l with fluorescence detection and 0.12–5.0 μmol/l with ultraviolet detection. The limits of quantitation were 0.025 μmol/l for citalopram and paroxetine, 0.050 μmol/l for desmethyl citalopram, di-desmethyl citalopram and citalopram-N-oxide, 0.12 μmol/l for the paroxetine metabolites by fluorescence detection, and 0.10 μmol/l for fluoxetine and norfluoxetine by ultraviolet detection. Relative standard deviations for the within-day and between-day precision were in the ranges 1.4–10.6% and 3.1–20.3%, respectively. Recoveries were in the 63–114% range for citalopram, fluoxetine and paroxetine, and in the 38–95% range for the metabolites. The method has been used for the analysis of whole blood and plasma samples from SSRI-exposed patients and forensic cases.     

Determination of amidepin in human plasma by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

An isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of amidepin has been developed. The method is based on the extraction of alkaline plasma with diethyl ether—dichloromethane, and the injection into the Supelcosil LC-18 column of the evaporated and reconstituted organic phase. After separation, detection is carried out by a fluorescence detector (excitation at 195 nm with no filter). The limit of detection is 10 ng/ml of plasma. The mean coefficient of variation is 12%. The plasma levels after oral administration and after intravenous administration are shown.     

Determination of closantel residues in plasma and tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

The influence of the pH of the mobile phase with some modifiers on the chromatographic behavior and fluorescence properties of closantel have been investigated. At acidic pH values (2–6), the benzamide moiety of the closantel forms a six-membered ring by hydrogen bonding and possesses a native fluorescence. Using the fluorescence emission of closantel at λ_ex=335 nm, λ_em=510 nm, and pH 2.5 of the mobile phase, a linear calibration curve was estimated over a concentration range of about two orders of magnitude with a correlation coefficient larger than 0.992. The limit of the fluorescence detection was 10 μg/kg. This value was at least 10 times lower than that using UV detection. The method was applied to the determination of closantel in plasma and tissue samples, purified by a solid-phase extraction with C₁₈ cartridges.     

Determination of vigabatrin in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A sensitive and specific HPLC method has been developed for the assay of vigabatrin in human plasma and urine. The assay involves derivatization with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan, solid-phase extraction on a silica column and isocratic reversed-phase chromatography with fluorescence detection. Aspartam was used as an internal standard. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.2–20.0 μg/ml for plasma and 1.0–15.0 μg/ml for urine with a lower limit of detection of 0.1 μg/ml using 0.1 ml of starting volume of the sample. Both the within-day and day-to-day reproducibilities and accuracies were less than 5.46% and 1.6%, respectively. After a single oral dose of 500 mg of vigabatrin, the plasma concentration and the cumulative urinary excretion of the drug were determined.     

Determination of (+)-catechin in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography using fluorescence detection

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method, using fluorescence detection, was developed for the determination of (+)-catechin in rabbit plasma. The procedure involved the precipitation of plasma protein using acetonitrile, followed by solid-phase adsorption onto alumina. After washing with water and methanol, the residue was vortex-mixed with perchloric acid solution to release the adsorbed (+)-catechin. Separation was performed on a reversed-phase column using an eluent consisting of phosphoric acid solution with 12% acetonitrile. The excitation and emission wavelengths were set at 280 and 310 nm, respectively. The retention times for (+)-catechin and the internal standard (deoxyhigenamine) were 6.87 and 8.47 min respectively, without any interference. Validations of accuracy and precision were satisfactory in both within- and between-run assays. All coefficients of variance were less than 6% and mean relative errors were within ± 3.75%. The average recovery was 73.77%. The limit of detection and quantitation were 1 ng and 0.02 μg/ml, respectively. Application of this method was successfully assessed by intravenous administration of a 15 mg/kg dose of (+)-catechin in rabbits. This new method provides a simple, specific and sensitive determination for (+)-catechin in rabbit plasma and is suitable for pharmacokinetic studies.     

Determination of the antiangiogenesis agent 2-methoxyestradiol in human plasma by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was developed for the quantitative determination of 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2) in human plasma. Sample pretreatment involved a solid-phase extraction of 1 ml aliquots of plasma with C(18) micro-columns. Separation was achieved on a Novapak C(18) column (300 mm x 3.9 mm i.d.; 4 microm PS) at room temperature at an isocratic flow rate of 1 ml/min with 50% acetonitrile in water. Detection was performed at a UV wavelength of 205 nm. Calibration curves were linear in the concentration range of 1-50 ng/ml. The accuracy and precision values obtained from three different sets of quality controls analyzed in replicates of four on four separate occasions ranged from 90.7 to 105.2 and 3.17 to 8.27%, respectively.     

Determination of marbofloxacin in plasma samples by high-performance liquid chromatography using fluorescence detection

A simple and sensitive HPLC method has been developed for the determination of marbofloxacin (MAR) in plasma. Sample preparations were carried out by adding phosphate buffer (pH 7.4, 0.1 M), followed by extraction with trichloromethane. MAR and the internal standard, enrofloxacin (ENR), were separated on a reversed-phase column and eluted with aqueous solution–acetonitrile (80:20). The fluorescence of the column effluent was monitored at λ_ex=338 and λ_em=425 nm. The retention times were 2.20 and 3.30 min for MAR and ENR, respectively. The method was shown to be linear from 15 to 1500 ng/ml (r²=0.999). The detection limit was 15 ng/ml. Mean recovery was determined as 90% by the analysis of plasma standards containing 150, 750, and 1500 ng/ml. Inter- and intra-assay precisions were 3.3% and 2.7%, respectively.     

Determination of montelukast sodium in human plasma by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

MK-0476 (montelukast sodium) is a potent and selective cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist that is being investigated in the treatment of asthma. A simple and sensitive method for the determination of MK-0476 in human plasma was developed using column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. A plasma sample was injected directly onto the HPLC system consisting of a pre-column (Capcell pak MF) and an analytical column (Capcell pak C18) which were connected with a six-port switching valve. The column eluate was monitored with a fluorescence detector (excitation at 350 nm; emission at 400 nm). The calibration curve was linear in a concentration range of 1–500 ng ml⁻¹ for MK-0476 in human plasma. The intra-day coefficients of variation of all concentrations within the range was less than 9.2%, and the intra-day accuracy values were between 97.2 and 114.6%. This method was used to measure the plasma concentration of MK-0476 following oral administration of the drug in humans.     

Determination of tianeptine in human plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A new, selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with fluorimetric detection was developed for the determination of tianeptine (TIA) in human plasma using solid phase extraction (SPE) procedures. The method is based on the derivatization of TIA with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD-Cl) in borate buffer of pH 8.5 to yield a yellow, fluorescent product. The HPLC separation was achieved on a Phenomenex C(18) column (250 mm x 4.6 mm) using a mobile phase of acetonitrile-10mM orthophosphoric acid (pH 2.5) (77:23, v/v) solvent system at 1 mL/min flow rate. Gabapentin (GA) was used as the internal standard. The fluorometric detector was operated at 458 nm (excitation) and 520 nm (emission). The assay was linear over the concentration range of 5-300 ng/mL. The detection limit (LOD) was found to be 2 ng/mL. The mean recovery was determined to be 88.6%. The proposed method was applied for pharmacokinetic study of 12.5mg TIA in a healthy volunteer.     

Determination of dextromethorphan and its metabolites in rat serum by liquid-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Dextromethorphan is an effective and safe antitussive, but has liabilities with respect to its abuse potential at doses above the therapeutic dose. At these higher doses, people report phencyclidine-like effects from the drug. A number of animal models have suggested that dextrorphan, an active metabolite of dextromethorphan, is responsible for the abuse liability of the parent compound when dextromethorphan is taken at high doses. Full pharmacokinetic profiles in single animals have not been demonstrated in these studies due to a lack of analytical sensitivity and/or selectivity for dextromethorphan and its metabolites. We have developed a low-cost liquid chromatographic method capable of characterizing the concentration-time profile for dextromethorphan and dextrorphan for 8 h in rats following an 18 mg/kg i.p. dose of dextromethorphan. Limits of quantitation (S/N=10) in 100 microL of serum were 0.25, 0.19, 0.27, and 0.22 nmol/mL for 3-hydroxymorphinan, dextrorphan, 3-methoxymorphinan, and dextromethorphan, respectively. Inter-day precision was better than 11% across the dynamic range of the method.     

Determination of agmatine in brain and plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Decarboxylated arginine, agmatine, is a neurotransmitter candidate for imidazoline receptors. A method is described to measure agmatine in rat brain and human plasma by isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with flourescence detection and o-phthalaldehyde derivatization. Quantitation is based on the method of additions of internal agmatine spikes. This assay has sensitivity in the low picomole range and a detection limitof 100 fmol. The correlation coefficient for the agmatine standard curve was 0.999±0.001 S.D., and intra- and inter-assay C.V.s were less than 8%. The accuracy of our isocratic method compared favorably with a gradient HPLC protocol, originally developed for bacterial agmatine, which we modified for use with tissues. Agmatine concentrations in rat brain were proportioned similarly to the regional distribution of imidazoline-1 receptors. These methods can be used as reliable research tools in various biological samples.     

Determination of lonazolac and its hydroxy and O-sulfated metabolites by on-line sample preparation liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A reliable method, which can be used for the determination of lonazolac and its hydroxylated and O-sulfated metabolites in cell culture media with methyllonazolac as the internal standard is described. The procedure employs on-line sample enrichment using a BioTrap 500 MS (20 x 4 mm I.D.) extraction pre-column and subsequent gradient separation on an Xterra MS C18-HT (100 x 3 mm I.D., 3.5 microm particles) analytical column in the back-flush mode. Signal monitoring was done by measurement of fluorescence responses at 273 nm for excitation and 385 nm for emission. Structural identity of analyte peaks was confirmed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (LC-MS-MS) using an electrospray ionization (ESI) source in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Mean recoveries of lonazolac, hydroxylonazolac and lonazolac sulfate, respectively, from the biological matrix were 104.2 +/- 3.5, 96.7 +/- 2.2, and 100.9 +/- 3.5%. The limit of detection (LOD) for the three compounds was about 5 ng/ml using a total sample volume of only 50 microl. Linearity of signal responses versus concentration for all three analytes was accomplished in the range 10-600 ng/ml. The mean values of the coefficients of variation (CV) for quality control samples measured in duplicate at three different days at the 10, 40, 100, and 400 ng/ml level were 4.46 +/- 1.15, 3.94 +/- 2.13 and 4.79 +/- 2.07% for lonazolac, hydroxylonazolac and lonazolac sulfate. The target analytes were sufficiently stable at both storage and sample preparation conditions because no substantial deviations between analyte concentrations measured before and after subsequently performed freeze and thaw cycles were observed.