Simultaneous determination of glipizide and rosiglitazone unbound drug concentrations in plasma by equilibrium dialysis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Glipizide and rosiglitazone are widely used to treat Type 2 diabetes. In order to investigate drug-drug protein binding interaction between glipizide and rosiglitazone, a method was developed and validated for simultaneously determining the free (unbound) fraction of glipizide and rosiglitazone in plasma employing equilibrium dialysis for the separation of free drug and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for quantitation. Post-dialysis human plasma or buffer samples of 0.2 ml were extracted using a liquid-liquid extraction procedure and analyzed by a high performance liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometer system. The compounds were eluted isocratically on a Zorbax SB-Phenyl column, ionized using an atmospheric pressure electrospray ionization source and analyzed in positive ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring. The ion transitions monitored were m/z 446-->321 for glipizide, m/z 358-->135 for rosiglitazone, and m/z 271-->155 for tolbutamide (internal standard, IS). The chromatographic run time was 5 min per injection, with retention times of 2.3, 3.4 and 2.3 min for glipizide, rosiglitazone and IS, respectively. The calibration curves of glipizide and rosiglitazone were over the range of 1-2000 ng/ml (r(2)>0.9969) in the combined matrix of human plasma and isotonic sodium phosphate buffer (1:1, v/v). The inter-assay precision and accuracy of the quality control samples were <10.9% of coefficient of variability and >93.5% and 94.5% of nominal concentration for glipizide and rosiglitazone, respectively. The lower limit of quantitation of both glipizide and rosiglitazone was 1.0 ng/ml. Both glipizide and rosiglitazone bound to plasma protein extensively (>99% bound). Glipizide and rosiglitazone free fraction averaged 0.678+/-0.071 and 0.389+/-0.061%, respectively, at plasma concentration of 1000 ng/ml. This developed method proves reproducible and sensitive and its application to clinical samples is also reported.     

Development of a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric method for measuring the binding of memantine to different melanins

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric method was validated for the determination of free memantine in melanin binding studies. The sources of melanin studied were sepia, synthetic and bovine melanin. Memantine was chromatographed on a reversed-phase column (Prodigy 5 microm, ODS(3), 100 A, 100 x 4.6 mm) using gradient elution with mobile phases of 0.1% formic acid in deionised water and 0.1% formic acid in methanol at a flow-rate of 0.8 ml/min. The mode of ionisation was atmospheric pressure-electrospray and detection by single ion monitoring of the memantine ion m/z 180. Validation of the method showed that the assay was linear from 0.1 to 1200 nM and 0.5 to 1200 nM memantine in deionised water and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), respectively. Accuracy for sample preparations in deionised water was between 80 and 108% and between 80 and 123% for PBS. For both media, intra- and inter-day precision was below 1% for retention time and below 5% for analyte peak area. At the LLOQ, the variation of peak area was less than 17%. Binding of memantine to melanin was measured indirectly by determining the unbound fraction of memantine. After incubation of melanin with memantine, the sample was centrifuged and filtered to separate the memantine-melanin complex effectively from suspension. The filtrate was then assayed for free memantine from which the extent of binding was then calculated.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance solution structures of inter- and intrastrand adducts of DNA cross-linker SJG-136

SJG-136 (1) is a sequence-selective DNA-interactive agent that is about to enter phase II clinical trials for the treatment of malignant disease. Previous studies on the pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD) dimers, typified by SJG-136 and DSB-120 (2), have shown that these planar ligands react with the exocyclic NH(2) groups of two guanine bases in the base of the minor groove of DNA to form an irreversible interstrand cross-linked sequence-specific adduct. Using high-field NMR, we have characterized and modeled the previously predicted interstrand duplex adduct formed by SJG-136 with the self-complementary 5'-d(CICGATCICG)(2) duplex (4). This first SJG-136 NMR-refined adduct structure has been compared with previous high-field NMR studies of the adducts of the closely related PBD dimer DSB-120 with the same duplex and of the adduct of tomaymycin (3) formed with 5'-d(ATGCAT)(2). Surprisingly, the SJG-136 duplex adduct appears to be more closely related to the tomaymycin adduct than to the DSB-120 adduct with respect of the orientation and depth of insertion of the ligand within the minor groove. The intrastrand duplex adduct formed in the reaction of SJG-136 with the noncomplementary 5'-d(CTCATCAC)·(GTGATGAG) duplex (5) has also been synthesized and modeled. In this duplex adduct, the nature of the cross-link was confirmed, the central guanines were identified as the sites of alkylation, and the stereochemical configuration at C11 at both ends of the SJG-136 molecule was determined to be S. The NMR-refined solution structures produced for the intrastrand adduct confirm the previously proposed structure (which was based solely on mass spectroscopy). Both the inter- and intrastrand SJG-136 duplex adducts form with minimal distortion of the DNA duplex. These observations have an impact on the proposal for the mechanism of action of SJG-136 both in vitro and in vivo, on the repair of its adducts and mechanism of resistance in cells, and, potentially, on the type of pharmacodynamic assay to be used in clinical trials. SGJ-136 is currently in phase II clinical trials with several groups working on both dimeric cross-linking agents and monoalkylating ligands based on the PBD alkylating moiety. This study suggests subtle differences between the DNA binding of SJG-136 and the C2 unsubstituted analogue DSB-120 that are likely to be the origins of the differences in potency. Confirmation of the stereochemical configuration at the C11 position (particularly in the intrastrand adduct) provides confirmation of binding orientation that was previously only speculation in the HPLC MS study. Together, these observations are likely to be of value in the development of third-generation PBD-based cross-linkers and monoalkylating analogues.     

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of BPR0L075, a novel antimicrotuble agent, in rat plasma: application to a pharmacokinetic study

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method (LC-MS/MS) had been developed and validated to determine the concentrations of BPR0L075 in rat plasma. After a simple protein precipitation of plasma samples by acetonitrile, BPR0L075 was analyzed on a C(8) column at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of 10 mM ammonium acetate containing 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile (20:80, v/v). Both BPR0L075 (analyte) and the internal standard (BPR0L092) were determined using electro-spray ionization and the MS data acquisition was via multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) in positive scanning model. The MS/MS ion transitions monitored are m/z 342.2/195.2 and 312.5/165.2 for BPR0L075 and BPR0L092, respectively. The low limit of quantitation was 0.5 ng/mL. Each plasma sample was chromatographed within 5 min. The method was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, and stability. A good linear relationship was observed over the concentration range of 0.5-1000 ng/mL (r>0.9994). Absolute recoveries ranged from 63.45 to 68.34% in plasma at the concentrations of 2, 40, 400, and 800 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day accuracy ranged from 92.04 to 111.80%. Intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were 1.08-3.29% and 1.96-5.46%, respectively. This developed and validated assay method had been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after intravenous injection of BPR0L075 in rats at a dose of 5mg/kg.     

Simultaneous determination of procaine and para-aminobenzoic acid by LC-MS/MS method

A sensitive high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method has been developed for simultaneous determination of procaine and its metabolite p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). N-Acetylprocainamide (NAPA) was used as an internal standard for procaine and PABA analysis. This assay method has also been validated in terms of linearity, lower limit of detection, lower limit of quantitation, accuracy and precision as per ICH guidelines. Chromatography was carried out on an XTerra MS C(18) column and mass spectrometric analysis was performed using a Quattro Micro mass spectrometer working with electro-spray ionization (ESI) source in the positive ion mode. Enhanced selectivity was achieved using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) functions, m/z 237-->100, m/z 138-->120, and m/z 278-->205 for procaine, PABA and NAPA, respectively. Retention times for PABA, procaine and NAPA were 4.0, 4.7 and 5.8min, respectively. Linearity for each calibration curve was observed across a range from 100nM to 5000nM for PABA, and from 10nM to 5000nM for procaine. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSD) were <5%.     

Stable isotope dilution assay for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric determination of L-homoarginine in human plasma

Nitric oxide (NO), the endogenous modulator of vascular tone and structure, originates from oxidation of L-arginine catalysed by NO synthase (NOS). The L-arginine derivative L-homoarginine serves as an alternative NOS substrate releasing NO, competing with L-arginine for NOS, arginase, and arginine transport. In the present article we report a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-tandem MS) method for the determination of L-homoarginine in human plasma by stable-isotope dilution. L-[(13)C(6)]-Homoarginine was used as internal standard. This method provides high sample throughput of 25-μl aliquots of plasma with an analysis time of 4 min using LC-tandem MS electrospray ionisation in the positive mode (ESI+). Specific transitions for L-homoarginine and L-[(13)C(6)]-homoarginine were m/z 245 → m/z 211 and m/z 251 → m/z 217, respectively. The mean intra- and interassay CVs were 7.4 ± 4.5% (±SD) for 0.1-50 μmol/L and 7.5 ± 2.0% for 2 and 5 μmol/L, respectively. Applying this method, a mean plasma concentration of L-homoarginine of 2.5 ± 1.0 μmol/L was determined in 136 healthy humans.     

Determination of unbound ticagrelor and its active metabolite (AR-C124910XX) in human plasma by equilibrium dialysis and LC-MS/MS

Ticagrelor is the first direct acting reversibly binding oral platelet P2Y(12) receptor antagonist. The parent molecule and the main metabolite (AR-C124910XX) are both able to block adenosine diphosphate-induced receptor signaling with similar potency. Drug binding to plasma proteins reduces free drug available for pharmacologic activity. Therefore, assessing unbound drug is important for interpretation of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic findings. This paper describes the development and validation of an equilibrium dialysis/LC-MS/MS method for measuring unbound ticagrelor and AR-C124910XX in human plasma. Plasma samples (200μl) were dialysed against phosphate buffered saline (37 °C, 24h) in 96-well dialysis plates to separate unbound analytes. Drug-protein binding alterations during dialysis were minimized by maintaining physiologic conditions (pH 7.4, 37 °C). Ticagrelor and AR-C124910XX were quantified in dialysates (unbound fraction), retentates and plasma (total concentration) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods. Calibration curves were established for the retentate and plasma (total concentration) in the ranges 5-5000 ng/ml (ticagrelor) and 2.5-2500 ng/ml (AR-C124910XX), and for the dialysate in the range 0.25-100 ng/ml (both analytes). Both ticagrelor and AR-C124910XX were highly protein bound (>99.8%), i.e. unbound fraction <0.2%. Yet, the methodology was successfully applied to determine unbound concentrations of ticagrelor and AR-C124910XX in clinical samples.     

Validation and implementation of a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry assay for quantitation of the total and unbound RO4929097, a γ-secretase inhibitor targeting Notch signaling, in human plasma

A reversed-phased liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for quantitation of the total and unbound RO4929097, a γ-secretase inhibitor targeting Notch signaling, in human plasma. Sample preparation involved a liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters X-Terra? MS C(18) column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of methanol/0.45% formic acid in water (60:40, v/v) running at a flow rate of 0.2 ml/min for 6 min. The lower limits of quantitation (LLOQs) were 5 ng/ml for the total RO4929097 in plasma and 0.5 ng/ml for the unbound drug in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Calibration curves were linear over RO4929097 concentration range of 5-2000 ng/ml in plasma for the total drug and 0.5-200 ng/ml in PBS for the unbound drug. The intra-day and inter-day accuracy and precision were within the generally accepted criteria for bioanalytical method (<15%). The method has been successfully employed to characterize the total and unbound plasma pharmacokinetics of RO4929097 after its oral administration in cancer patients.     

Plasma protein binding study of oxybutynin by high-performance frontal analysis

Plasma protein binding of oxybutynin (OXY) was investigated quantitatively and enantioselectively using high-performance frontal analysis (HPFA). An on-line HPLC system which consists of HPFA column, extraction column and analytical column was developed to determine the unbound concentrations of OXY enantiomers in human plasma, in human serum albumin (HSA) solutions, and in human alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) solutions. OXY is bound in human plasma strongly and enantioselectively. The bound drug fraction in human plasma containing 2-10 microM (R)- or (S)-OXY was higher than 99%, and the unbound fraction of (R)-OXY was 1.56 times higher than that of (S)-isomer. AGP plays the dominant role in this strong and enantioselective plasma protein binding. The total binding affinities (nK) of (R)- and (S)-OXY to AGP were 6.86 x 10(6) and 1.53 x 10(7) M(-1), respectively, while the nK values of (R)- and (S)-OXY to HSA were 2.64 x 10(4) and 2.19 x 10(-4) M(-1), respectively. The binding affinity of OXY to AGP is much higher than that to HSA, and shows high enantioselectivity (SIR ratio of nK values is 2.2). It was found that both enantiomers are bound competitively at the same binding site on an AGP molecule. The binding property between OXY and low density lipoprotein (LDL) was investigated by using the frontal analysis method incorporated in high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE/FA). It was found the binding is non-saturable and non-enantioselective.     

A sensitive and specific HPLC-MS/MS analysis and preliminary pharmacokinetic characterization of isoforskolin in beagle dogs

A sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the determination of isoforskolin in canine plasma. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to extract isoforskolin and the internal standard (I.S.) eplerenone from canine plasma. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Agela Venusil XBP Phenyl column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of methanol-2mM ammonium acetate-formic acid (62:38:0.1, v/v/v), pumped at 0.35 mL/min. Isoforskolin and I.S. were detected at m/z 433.4→373.3 and m/z 415.3→163.5 in positive ion and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, respectively. The standard curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.1-200 ng/mL (r>0.99). The intra- and inter-batch accuracy values for isoforskolin at four concentrations were 90.2-108.3% and 97.8-106.6%, respectively. The RSDs were less than 6.0%. The mean extraction recoveries of isoforskolin and I.S. were 97.0 and 88.4%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study after an intravenous administration of isoforskolin in beagle dogs.     

Subcellular distribution of leukotriene C4 binding units in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells

The subcellular distribution of specific binding sites for [3H]leukotriene C4 ([3H]LTC4) was analyzed after sedimentation of organelles from disrupted bovine aortic endothelial cells on sucrose density gradients and was shown to be in membrane fractions I (20% sucrose) and IV (35% sucrose). Saturation binding studies of [3H]LTC4 on endothelial cell monolayers at 4 degrees C demonstrated high-affinity binding sites with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 6.8 +/- 2.2 nM (mean +/- SD) and a density of 0.12 +/- 0.02 pmol/10(6) cells. At 4 degrees C, the specific binding of [3H]LTC4 by each of the subcellular fractions reached equilibrium at 30 min and remained stable for an additional 60 min. After 30 min of incubation with [3H]LTC4, the addition of excess unlabeled LTC4 to each subcellular fraction reversed more than 70% of [3H]LTC4 binding in 10 min. The [3H]LTC4 binding activities of subcellular fractions were enhanced approximately twofold to fourfold in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+, whereas Na+, K+, and Li+ were without effect. As measured by saturation experiments, the Kd and density of LTC4 binding sites in fraction I were 4.8 +/- 1.6 nM and 16.5 +/- 1.9 pmol/mg of protein, respectively, and in fraction IV were 4.7 +/- 1.5 nM and 81.4 +/- 19 pmol/mg of protein, respectively. Inhibition of [3H]LTC4 binding in membrane-enriched subcellular fractions I and IV by LTC4 occurred with molar inhibition constant (Ki) values of 4.5 +/- 0.1 nM and 4.7 +/- 1.2 nM, respectively, whereas Ki values for LTD4 were 570 +/- 330 nM and 62.5 +/- 32.8 nM, respectively, and for LTE4 were greater than 1000 nM for each fraction; LTB4 and reduced glutathione were even less active. FPL55712, a putative antagonist of the sulfidopeptide LT components of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis, had Ki values of 1520 +/- 800 nM and 1180 +/- 720 nM for [3H]LTC4 binding sites on membrane-enriched subcellular fractions I and IV, respectively. Thus as defined by Kd, Ki, and specificity, the LTC4 binding units that are distributed to the plasma membrane and the binding units in the subcellular fraction of greater density were similar to each other. Pretreatment of the isolated subcellular membrane fractions with trypsin abolished [3H]LTC4 binding by fraction I, enriched for the plasma membrane marker 5' nucleotidase, and that by fraction IV, enriched for the mitochondrial membrane marker succinate-cytochrome C reductase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Determination of acteoside in Cistanche deserticola and Boschniakia rossica and its pharmacokinetics in freely-moving rats using LC-MS/MS

A sensitive LC-MS/MS method with a simple solid-phase extraction for the determination of acteoside in rat plasma and tissue homogenates was established for the investigation of bioavailability and brain distribution in freely-moving rats. Acteoside in Cistanche deserticola and Boschniakia rossica was also determined. Acteoside and internal standard were separated on a RP-select B column (125mmx4.6mm i.d., particle size 5microm). The mobile phase consisted of 35% methanol and 65% acetic acid-water (1:100, v/v) at a flow-rate of 1mL/min. Acteoside and the internal standard were monitored using the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode at m/z transitions of 623-->161 and 609-->301, respectively. The acteoside content was 38.4+/-2.4mg/kg (n=3) for B. rossica, which is obviously lower than 21134.2+/-805.5mg/kg (n=3) of C. deserticola. The protein binding in rat plasma was 75.5+/-1.8%. The brain distribution result indicated that acteoside was evenly distributed in brain tissues (brain stem, cerebellum, the rest of the brain, cortex, hippocampus and striatum) which was about 0.45-0.68% of that in plasma (4.5+/-0.5microg/mL) after 15min of acteoside administration (10mg/kg, i.v.). After acteoside was given (3mg/kg, i.v.; 100mg/kg, p.o.), the oral bioavailability (AUC(p.o.)/dose(p.o.))/(AUC(i.v.)/dose(i.v.)) was only 0.12%.     

Determination of total mycophenolic acid and its glucuronide metabolite using liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and unbound mycophenolic acid using tandem mass spectrometry

Two simple, sensitive and reproducible methods for determination of total mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its glucuronide metabolite (MPAG) as well as unbound MPA (fMPA) was developed by the use of HPLC-UV and LC-MS/MS methods, respectively. For the total MPA/MPAG method, the analytes were extracted using Isolute C(2) solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and analyzed at 254 nm over a Zorbax Rx C(8) column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm). The mobile phase was a gradient mixture of methanol and water (containing 0.1% (v/v) phosphoric acid). The total run time was 18 min and the extraction recovery was 77% for MPA and 84% for MPAG. The method was precise and accurate with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.5 mg/l for MPA and 5.0 mg/l for MPAG. For the fMPA method, plasma was subjected to ultrafiltration followed by SPE using C(18) cartridges. Analytical column was the same as the HPLC-UV method and the mobile phase was a gradient composition of methanol:0.05% formic acid with a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min for the first 3 min and 0.7 ml for the last 4 min. The chromatographic method separated MPA from its metabolites MPAG and Acyl-MPAG. Mass transitions in negative ionization mode for MPA and the internal standard, indomethacin were m/z: 319-->190.9 and m/z: 356-->312.2, respectively. The assay was linear in the concentration range of 1-1000 microg/l for fMPA with a LLOQ of 1 microg/l and an accuracy of >95%. The two methods reported have an adequate degree of robustness and dynamic concentration range for the measurement of MPA, MPAG and fMPA for therapeutic drug monitoring purposes or pharmacokinetics investigations.     

Quantitation of ursolic acid in human plasma by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and its pharmacokinetic study

Ursolic acid is a hydroxy pentacyclic triterpene, which proved to have sedation, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiulcer and anti-cancer activities. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) method with high selectivity, sensitivity and throughput has been established and validated for quantitation of total ursolic acid in human plasma. Plasma samples were pretreated by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and were chromatographed by an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C(8) column (100 mm×2.1 mm, I.D., 1.7 μm) using mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 10 mM ammonium formate (90:10, v/v) at 0.2 mL/min. The duration of chromatography analysis was 3 min. The multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was performed at m/z 455.1→455.0 for ursolic acid and m/z 469.3→425.2 for glycyrrhetinic acid (internal standard, IS) in the negative ion mode with electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The assay showed good linearity over the range of 10-5000 ng/mL for ursolic acid in human plasma with a lower limit of quantitation of 10 ng/mL. The mean extraction recovery was 73.2±4.5% and the matrix ion suppression ranged from -11.4% to -5.6%. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 7.0% and 7.2%, respectively, and the accuracy was within ±2.0%. Ursolic acid was stable during the analysis and the storage period. The validated method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after intravenous infusion of Ursolic Acid Nano-liposomes to healthy volunteers.     

Simultaneous quantitation of aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine and benzoylhypaconine in human plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and pharmacokinetics evaluation of "SHEN-FU" injectable powder

A rapid, specific and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous quantitation of six Aconitum alkaloids, i.e. aconitine (AC), mesaconitine (MA), hypaconitine (HA), benzoylaconine (BAC), benzoylmesaconine (BMA) and benzoylhypaconine (BHA) in human plasma collected from 18 healthy volunteers after intravenous drop infusion of "SHEN-FU" injectable powder in three different dosages. Lappaconitine was selected as the internal standard (IS). LC/MS/MS system coupled with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source was performed in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The transitions of the Aconitum alkaloids executed as following: m/z 646.3-->586.0 for AC; m/z 632.4-->573.1 for MA; m/z 616.2-->556.1 for HA; m/z 604.2-->104.8 for BAC; m/z 590.1-->104.8 for BMA; m/z 574.1-->104.8 for BHA; m/z 585.2-->161.8 for IS. Sample preparation was performed with solid-phase extraction (SPE) on a 1 mL HLB cartridge prior to analysis. The separation was applied on a Waters C(18) column (1.7 microm, 2.1 mm x 100 mm) and a gradient elution of methanol and 0.1% formic acid-water was used as mobile phase. The retention time was less than 4.5 min. The concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 1000 ng/mL for all six Aconitum alkaloids and showed a good linearity with the correlation coefficient (r(2)) >0.995. The validated method was employed to simultaneous quantitation and successfully used for the first time for the pharmacokinetic evaluation of the six Aconitum alkaloids after intravenous drop administration of "SHEN-FU" injectable powder in phase I clinical trial.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of vinorelbine in human plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its pharmacokinetic application

Vinorelbine is a semi-synthetic vinca alkaloid with demonstrated high activities against various types of advanced cancer. To support a clinical pharmacokinetic study, a simple, rapid and sensitive method to determine vinorelbine in human plasma was developed using reversed phase liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Vinorelbine and vinblastine (the internal standard) were extracted from human plasma by one-step liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with methyl-t-butyl ether. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Spursil polar-modified C(18) column (50 mm×2.1 mm, 3 μm, Dikma Technologies) with an isocratic mobile phase of a 75:25 (v/v) acetonitrile-4 mmol/L ammonium formate (pH 3.0) mixture at a flow-rate of 0.4 mL/min. The MS/MS detection was performed in the positive ion multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by monitoring the precursor→product ion transitions at m/z 779.4→122.0 and m/z 811.3→224.2 for vinorelbine and the internal standard, respectively. The assay was validated in the range 0.1-200 ng/mL (r>0.997), the lowest level of this range being the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) based on 50 μL of plasma. The intra- and inter-day precisions were within 6.0%, while the accuracy was within ±4.7% of nominal values. Detection and quantification of both analytes within 2 min make this method suitable for high-throughput analyses. The method was successfully applied to evaluate the systemic pharmacokinetics of vinorelbine after a 20-min intravenous infusion of 25 mg/m(2) of vinorelbine to patients with metastatic breast cancer.     

Development and validation of a method to determine the unbound paclitaxel fraction in human plasma

Paclitaxel is pharmaceutically formulated in a mixture of Cremophor EL and ethanol (1:1, v/v). The unbound fraction of the anticancer drug paclitaxel in plasma is dependent on both plasma protein binding and entrapment in Cremophor EL micelles. We have developed a simple and reproducible method for the quantification of the unbound paclitaxel fraction in human plasma. Human plasma was spiked with [3H]paclitaxel and [14C]glucose (unbound reference) and incubated at 37 degrees C for 30 min. Plasma ultrafiltrate was prepared by a micropartition system (MPS-1) and collected in a sample cup containing 100 microl of plasma to prevent the loss of paclitaxel due to adsorption. The radionuclides were separated after combustion of the biological samples using a sample oxidizer and the radioactivity was determined by liquid scintillation counting. The unbound fraction of paclitaxel was calculated by dividing the ratios of 3H and 14C in plasma ultrafiltrate and in plasma. The method was thoroughly validated using human plasma spiked with pharmacologically relevant concentrations of paclitaxel (10-1000 ng/ml) and Cremophor EL (0.25-2.0%). The method was precise, with a within-day precision ranging from 3.9 to 11.0% and a between-day precision ranging from 5.8 to 13.1%. In patient plasma with low serum albumin values containing 1% of Cremophor EL, the unbound fraction appeared to be significantly higher than that in plasma with normal albumin values. The determination of the unbound fraction of paclitaxel proved to be stable during a 10-week storage at -20 degrees C. Furthermore, the assay was applicable in patient samples. This assay can be used to determine the unbound fraction of paclitaxel in plasma. Moreover, its design should allow the determination of the unbound concentrations of other hydrophobic drugs.     

Quantification of free mycophenolic acid and its glucuronide metabolite in human plasma by liquid-chromatography using mass spectrometric and ultraviolet absorbance detection

The immunosuppressant drug mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its major metabolite, mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG), are highly bound to albumin. An HPLC-tandem-MS (HPLC/MS/MS) and an HPLC-UV assay were developed to measure free (unbound) concentrations of MPA and MPAG, respectively. Ultrafiltrate was prepared from plasma (500 microl) by ultrafiltration at 3000 x g for 20 min (20 degrees C). Both MPA and MPAG were isolated from ultrafiltrate (100 microl) by acidification and C18 solid-phase extraction. Free MPA was measured by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry using selected reactant monitoring (MPA: m/z 338.2--> 206.9) in positive ionisation mode. Chromatography was performed on a PFPP column (50 mm x 2 mm, 5 microm). Total analysis time was 7 min. The assay was linear over the range 1-200 microg/l with a limit of quantification of 1 microg/l. The inter-day accuracy and imprecision of quality controls (7.5, 40, 150 microg/l) were 94-99% and < 7%, respectively. Free MPAG was chromatographed on a C18 Nova-Pak column (150 mm x 3.9 mm, 5 microm) using a binary gradient over 20 min. The eluent was monitored at 254 nm. The assay was linear over the range 1-50 mg/l with the limit of quantification at 2.5 mg/l. The inter-day accuracy and imprecision of quality controls (5, 20, 45 mg/l) was 101-107% and < 8% (n = 4), respectively. For both methods no interfering substances were found in ultrafiltrate from patients not receiving MPA. The methods described have a suitable dynamic linear range to facilitate the investigation of free MPA and MPAG pharmacokinetics in transplant patients. Further, this is the first reported HPLC-UV method to determine free MPAG concentrations.     

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of Kendine 91, a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, in mice plasma and tissues: application to a pharmacokinetic study

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method (LC-MS/MS) has been developed and validated to determine the concentration of Kendine 91 in mice plasma and tissues. Simvastatin was employed as the internal standard. Separation was performed on a C8 column, with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and aqueous 10 mM formic acid (73:27 v/v). Both analyte and internal standard were determined using electrospray ionization and the MS data acquisition was via multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) in positive scanning mode. Quantification was performed using the transitions m/z 444-->169 and 441-->325 for Kendine 91 and simvastatin, respectively. The method was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery and stability. This assay has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after intravenous injection of Kendine 91 in mice in a dose of 10mg/kg.