Automated determination of amisulpride by liquid chromatography with column switching and spectrophotometric detection

A fully automated chromatographic method including on-line blood serum or plasma clean-up, isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometric detection was developed for quantitative analysis of the new antipsychotic drug amisulpride. After injection of serum or plasma onto the HPLC system and clean-up on a pre-column (10x4.0 mm I.D.) filled with Silica CN 20 micrometer (pore size 10 nm) by an eluent consisting of 8% acetonitrile in deionized water, the chromatographic separation was performed on Lichrospher CN (5 micrometer; 250x4.6 mm I.D.) by an eluent consisting of 50% acetonitrile and 50% aqueous potassium phosphate buffer (0.008 M, pH 6.4). The UV detector was set at 254 nm. The limit of quantification was about 10 microgram/l. The method revealed linearity between 10 and 600 microgram/l (correlation coefficients R(2)>0.9996). The inter-assay reproducibility (coefficient of variation) of quality control samples was between 2.8 and 11.3%. Inaccuracy was between -0.6 and +9.1%. The performance of daily calibration standards revealed an imprecision always below 15% and maximum inaccuracy of 7.7%. The method can be applied to therapeutic drug monitoring as well as pharmacokinetic studies of amisulpride.     

Determination of bevantolol enantiomers in human plasma by coupled achiral-chiral high performance-liquid chromatography

A coupled achiral-chiral high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and fully validated for the determination of bevantolol enantiomers, (-)-(S)-bevantolol and (+)-(R)-bevantolol, in human plasma. Plasma samples were prepared by solid phase extraction with Sep-Pak Plus C18 cartridges followed by HPLC. Bevantolol enantiomers and (+)-(R)-Propranolol as internal standard (IS) were preseparated from interfering components in plasma on a Phenomenex silica column and bevantolol enantiomers and IS were resolved and determined on a Chiralcel OJ-H chiral stationary phase. The two columns were connected by a switching valve equipped with silica precolumn. The Precolumn was used to concentrate bevantolol in the eluent from the achiral column before back flushing onto chiral phase. A detailed validation of the method was performed accordingly to FDA guidelines. For each enantiomer the assay was linear between 20 and 1600 ng/ml. The quantification limits of both bevantolol enantiomers were 20 ng/ml. The intraday variation was between 1.07 and 12.64% in relation to the measured concentration and the interday variation was 0.91 and 11.79%. The method has been applied to the determination of (-)-(S)- and (+)-(R)-bevantolol in plasma from healthy volunteers dosed with racemic bevantolol hydrochloride.     

Simultaneous determination of five antipsychotic drugs in rat plasma by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A significant percentage of psychiatric patients who are treated with antipsychotics are treated with more than one antipsychotic drug in the clinic. Thus, it is advantageous to use a rapid and reliable assay that is suitable for determination of multiple antipsychotic drugs in plasma in a single run. A simple and sensitive HPLC-UV method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of olanzapine, haloperidol, chlorpromazine, ziprasidone, risperidone and its active metabolite 9-hydroxyrisperidone in rat plasma using imipramine as an internal standard (I.S.). The analytes were extracted from rat plasma using a single step liquid-liquid acid solution back extraction technique with wash procedure, which provided the very clear baseline for blank plasma extraction. The compounds were separated on an Agilent Eclipse XDB C8 (150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm) column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile/30 mM ammonium acetate including 0.05% triethylamine (pH 5.86 adjusted with acetic acid) with gradient elution. All of the analytes were monitored using UV detection. The method was validated and the linearity, lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ), precision, accuracy, recoveries, selectivity and stability were determined. The LLOQ was 2.0 ng/ml and correlation coefficient (R(2)) values for the linear range of 2.0-500.0 ng/ml were 0.998 or greater for all the analytes. The precision and accuracy for intra-day and inter-day were better than 7.44%. The recovery was above 74.8% for all of the analytes. This validated method has been successfully used to quantify the plasma concentration of the analytes for pharmacological and toxicological studies following chronic treatment with antipsychotic drugs in the rat.     

Determination of risedronate in human urine by column-switching ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

An HPLC assay for the determination of risedronate in human urine was developed and validated. Risedronate and the internal standard were isolated from 5-ml urine samples in a two-part procedure. First, the analytes were precipitated from urine along with endogenous phosphates as calcium salts by the addition of CaCl(2) at alkaline pH. The precipitate was then dissolved in 0.05 M ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and subjected to ion-pair solid-phase extraction using a Waters HLB cartridge (1 ml, 30 mg) with 1-octyltriethylammonium phosphate as the ion-pair reagent. Following extraction, the analytes were initially separated from the majority of co-extracted endogenous components on a Waters X-Terra RP18 (4.6 x 50 mm, 3.5 microm) column. The effluent from the X-Terra was "heart-cut" onto a Phenomenex Synergi Polar RP (4.6 x 150 mm, 4 microm) column for final separation. UV detection (lambda=262 nm) was used to quantitate risedronate in the concentration range of 7.5-250 ng/ml. Mean recovery was 83.3% for risedronate and 86.5% for the internal standard. The intra-day precision of the assay, as assessed by replicate (n=5) standard curves, was better than 6% RSD for all points on the standard curve. Within-day accuracy for the standards ranged from 96.3 to 106.1% of nominal. Inter-day precision for quality controls assayed over a 3-week period was better than 5%, while inter-day accuracy was within 90% of nominal. The assay was employed to analyze samples collected during a clinical pharmacokinetics study.     

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 citalopram and escitalopram together with their active main metabolites desmethyl(es-)citalopram in human serum by column-switching high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometric detection

We established a method for automated quantitative analysis of (es-)citalopram and desmethyl(es-)citalopram in serum using column-switching high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). For sample clean-up serum was injected onto a LiChrospher CN 20 microm precolumn using 8% acetonitrile in deionized water. Drugs were eluted by back-flush flow onto the analytical column (LiChrospher CN 5 microm) at a flow rate of 1.5 ml/min with phosphate buffer 8 mmol/l pH 6.4/acetonitrile (50/50, v/v). Haloperidol was used as internal standard. Analytes were detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry at 210 nm. Detection limit of (es-)citalopram was 6 ng/ml. The method was found to be suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of patients treated with citalopram or escitalopram.     

Determination of metformin in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric detection

A simple, selective, sensitive and precise high-performance liquid chromatographic plasma assay for the hypoglycemic agent metformin is described. Acidified samples of plasma were deproteinated with acetonitrile, washed with dichloromethane and the resulting supernatant injected. Chromatography was performed at 40°C by pumping a mobile phase of acetonitrile (250 ml) in pH 7, 0.03 M diammonium hydrogen phosphate buffer (750 ml) at a flow-rate of 1 ml/min through a silica column. Metformin and the internal standard (atenolol) were detected at 240 nm and were eluted 7.8 and 6.8 min, respectively, after injection. No endogenous substances were found to interfere. Calibration curves were linear (r>0.999) from 10 to 2000 ng/ml. The absolute recovery of both metformin and atenolol was greater than 76%. The detection limit and limit of quantitation were 2.5 and 10 ng/ml, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision (C.V.) was 12%, or less, and the accuracy was within 6.2% of the nominal concentration. This method is suitable for clinical investigation and monitoring metformin concentration.     

Automated determination of clomipramine and its major metabolites in human and rat serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line column-switching

A fully automated method including column-switching and isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for simultaneous determination of the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine and its metabolites demethylclomipramine, 2-, 8-, and 10-hydroxyclomipramine, 2-, and 8-hydroxydemethylclomipramine and didemethylclomipramine in serum. After serum injection into the HPLC system and on-line sample clean-up on a clean-up column (Hypersil CN; 10×4.6 mm) by an eluent consisting of 35% acetonitrile and 65% deionized water, the chromatographic separation was performed on an analytical column (LiChrospher CN; 250×4.6 mm I.D.) by an eluent consisting of 38% acetonitrile and 62% aqueous sodium perchlorate (0.02 M, pH 2.5). The UV detector was set at 260 nm. The limit of quantification was about 15 ng/ml for all analytes. The coefficients of variation ranged between 3 and 12% with recovery rates between 64 and 110%. Linear regression analyses revealed coefficients of correlation between 0.98 and 0.99. The method could be applied to therapeutic drug monitoring as well as metabolism studies in man and rat.     

Determination of glimepiride in human plasma using semi-microbore high performance liquid chromatography with column-switching

A fully automated semi-microbore high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with column-switching using UV detection was developed for the determination of glimepiride from human plasma samples. Plasma sample (900 microl) was deproteinated and extracted with ethanol and acetonitrile. The extract (70 microl) was directly injected into a Capcell Pak MF Ph-1 pre-column where the primary separation occurred to remove proteins and retain drugs using a mixture of acetonitrile and 10mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.18) (20:80, v/v). The analytes were transferred from the pre-column to an intermediate column using a switching valve and then subsequently separated on an analytical column and monitored with UV detection at 228 nm. Glimepiride was eluted with retention time 34.9 min without interference of endogenous substance from plasma. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 10 ng/ml for glimepiride. The calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 10-400 ng/ml (r(2) = 0.9997). Moreover, inter- and intra-day precisions of the method were less than 15% and accuracies were higher than 99%. The developed method was successfully applied for the quantification of glimepiride in human plasma and was used to support a human pharmacokinetic study following a single oral administration of 2 mg glimepiride.     

Sensitive determination of clarithromycin in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric detection

A rapid, selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method with spectrophotometric detection was developed for the determination of clarithromycin in human plasma. Liquid-liquid extraction of clarithromycin and norverapamil (as internal standard) from plasma samples was performed with n-hexane/1-butanol (98:2, v/v) in alkaline condition followed by back-extraction into diluted acetic acid. Chromatography was carried out using a CN column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) under isocratic elution with acetonitrile-50 mM aqueous sodium dihydrogen phosphate (32:68, v/v), pH 4.5. Detection was made at 205 nm and analyses were run at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min at 40 degrees C. The analysis time was less than 11 min. The method was specific and sensitive with a quantification limit of 31.25 ng/ml and a detection limit of 10 ng/ml in plasma. The mean absolute recovery of clarithromycin from plasma was 95.9%, while the intra- and inter-day coefficient of variation and percent error values of the assay method were all less than 9.5%. Linearity was assessed in the range of 31.25-2000 ng/ml in plasma with a correlation coefficient of greater than 0.999. The method was used to analyze several hundred human plasma samples for bioavailability studies.     

Microextraction in packed sorbent for analysis of antidepressants in human plasma by liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric detection

A sensitive and reproducible method by microextraction packed sorbent and liquid chromatography with UV detection (MEPS/LC–UV) is described for the determination of new generation antidepressants (sertraline, mirtazapine, fluoxetine, citalopram and paroxetine) in human plasma samples. The MEPS variables, such as sample volume, pH, number of extraction cycles (draw–eject), and desorption conditions (solvent and solvent volume of elution) influenced the MEPS/LC efficiency significantly. Important factors in the optimization of MEPS efficiency, as well as washing steps and carryover effect are discussed. The analyses were carried out using small sample volumes (400 μL), and in a short time period (3 min for the entire sample preparation step). The MEPS/LC–UV method was shown to be linear at concentrations ranging from the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 1000 ng mL⁻¹. The LOQ values ranged from 10 to 25 ng mL⁻¹. The inter-day precision of the method presented coefficient of the variation ranging from 1.3% to 8.7%. On the basis of analytical validation, it is shown that the MEPS/LC–UV methodology is adequate for antidepressant analysis, from therapeutic to toxic levels. In order to evaluate the proposed method for clinical use, the MEPS/LC–UV method was applied to analysis of plasma samples from elderly depressed patients.     

Determination of a new atypical antipsychotic agent perospirone and its metabolite in human plasma by automated column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and sensitive column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with fluorescence detection is described for the quantification of perospirone, a serotonin and dopamine antagonist, and its metabolite ID-15036 in human plasma. The test compounds were extracted from 2 ml of plasma using chloroform-hexane (30:70, v/v) and the extract was injected into a column I (TSK-PW precolumn, 10 micro m, 35 x 4.6 mm I.D.) for clean-up and column II (C(18) STR ODS-II analytical column, 5 micro m, 150 x 4.6 mm I.D.) for separation. The peak was detected using a fluorescence detector set at Ex 315 nm and Em 405 nm, and the total time for a chromatographic separation was approximately 30 min. The method was validated for the concentration range from 0.1 to 100 ng/ml. Mean recoveries were 97% for perospirone and 96% for ID-15036. Intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were less than 2.8 and 5.3% for perospirone and 2.4 and 4.4% for ID-15036, respectively, at the concentration range from 0.3 to 30 ng/ml. This method shows good specificity with respect to commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs, and it could be successfully applied for pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring.     

Automated column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of 1-hydroxypyrene in human urine

An on-line sample treatment method to determine 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), a metabolite of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in human urine has been developed. The hydrolysed biological fluid was directly injected into the chromatographic system after only centrifugation. A miniature precolumn loop packed with a preparative phase and coupled on-line to a liquid chromatographic (LC) system was used for analyte enrichment. The analytes were non-selectively desorbed with the LC eluent and cleaned by means of a column-switching procedure comprising two purification columns and an analytical column. Pre-treatment and analysis were performed within 2 and 20 min, respectively. Average 1-OHP recovery reached 99% in the 1–25 μg/l range of urine, and the quantitation limit was 20 ng/l for 100 μl of injected sample. A comparison with a more time-consuming off-line method was performed by analysing 120 urine samples of PAH-exposed and expected unexposed workers; the statistical treatment indicated that both methods are in agreement.     

Simultaneous analysis of multiple aminothiols in human plasma by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Aminothiols serve numerous vital functions in biochemistry, including detoxification and regulation of cellular metabolism, enzymatic activity, and protein trafficking and degradation. Plasma aminothiol concentrations are frequently measured for clinical and translational research investigating oxidative stress, and for routine clinical diagnosis and monitoring of vascular injury. Although a variety of techniques are available to measure aminothiol concentrations in plasma, high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC–FD) is the most widely used. This review summarizes HPLC–FD methods, including pre-analytical considerations, procedures for sample reduction, derivatization, and chromatographic separation of the primary biological aminothiols cysteine, homocysteine, cysteinylglycine, and glutathione in human plasma.     

Determination of remifentanil in human blood by capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-selective detection

A validated method for the determination of remifentanil in human blood, applicable to all therapeutic concentrations, using capillary GC with nitrogen-specific detection and fentanyl as the internal standard has been developed. Citrated whole blood samples were extracted into 1-chlorobutane following precipitation of proteins with methanol. The drugs were back extracted into 10 mM HCl and re-extracted into methanol-1-chlorobutane. The extracts were reconstituted in methanol and injected onto a 25-m BPX-5 column. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.2 ng/ml with within- and between-day coefficients of variation of less than 15%.     

Determination of captopril in human blood by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A new method for quantitation of captopril in human blood is described. Captopril was derivatized with N-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)maleimide into the electrochemically active adduct. The derivative was separated and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector on a reversed-phase column. The proposed method was satisfactory for determination of captopril in whole blood with respect to accuracy and precision. The detection limit of captopril thereby obtained was 10 ng/ml. The blood levels of captopril in patients orally given an officinal dose were measured by the present method.     

Measurement of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine in plasma and other biological fluids by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A sensitive method for the measurement of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine in plasma and other biological fluids is described. This method employs reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection after adsorption by alumina and elution with acidic methanol.     

Determination of alentamol hydrobromide, a novel antipsychotic agent, in human blood plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and solid-phase extraction

Alentamol hydrobromide, (+)-2-(dipropylamino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-phenalen-5-ol monohydrobromide, is a selective dopamine agonist currently being investigated for the treatment of schizophrenia. This paper describes a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic-based method for the quantification of alentamol in blood plasma and urine. The method utilizes solid-phase extraction with carboxylic acid-derivatized silica columns. A limit of quantitation of 0.1 ng/ml in plasma was achieved by virtue of selective extraction and fluorescence detection. Example chromatograms of plasma and urine specimens from clinical trials demonstrate the utility of the method.     

Simple determination of mycophenolic acid in human serum by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography

A column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis was established to monitor the serum concentration of mycophenolic acid, the active metabolite from mycophenolate mofetil administered for the prophylaxis of acute organ rejection in renal transplantation. The system consisted of two pumps for solvent delivery, a column-switching valve, a precolumn, and a reversed-phase analytical column. The present method enabled us to determine MPA by injecting serum samples directly into HPLC without any pretreatment. The mobile phases with different amounts of organic solvent were delivered to the precolumn and analytical column by separate lines, and samples were applied to the precolumn. The column switching valves were switched automatically following the processes for the elimination of protein and the drug analysis. The peak heights of MPA were linearly related to the concentrations (r=0.999) in the range of 0.1-20 micro g/ml, and the limit of quantification was 0.1 micro g/ml (S/N ratio=3). This method was accurate and reproducible on the basis of the results of recovery (94.0-98.0%) and small coefficient of variations of intra and inter-assay (less than 8.3%).     

Determination of dopexamine hydrochloride in human blood by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A method is described for the determination of dopexamine hydrochloride at concentrations of 5 to 1000 ng/ml in human blood using electrochemical detection. The method uses a Hypersil ODS column and a mobile phase containing heptane sulphonate, orthophosphoric acid, diisopropylamine and disodium EDTA. Blood samples are stabilised immediately after collection by the use of dipotassium EDTA and a high concentration of sodium metabisulphite. The sample preparation procedure consists of a simple de-proteinisation with perchloric acid. The method is accurate, with inter-assay accuracies ranging from 100 to 104%, and is free of interference by blood from different individuals. Known and potential metabolites of dopexamine hydrochloride and a wide range of drugs do not interfere with the method. The method is precise with inter-assay coefficients on variation of 10.6% at 5 ng/ml and of less than 4.2% at higher concentrations. Stabilised blood samples may be stored for over six months at −25°C prior to analysis.