Allen I. Cohen

Determination of pravastatin sodium and its isomeric metabolite in human urine by HPLC with UV detection.

An assay was required to determine the amounts of pravastatin sodium and the metabolite in human urine. A solid-phase extraction using a disposable cartridge was developed to isolate both pravastatin and metabolite from urine. Measurements by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection is described

Determination of sq 27,519, the active phosphinic acid—carboxylic acid of the prodrug sq 28,555, in human serum by capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen—phosphorus detection after a two-step derivatization☆

A method for the determination of SQ 27,519 (II), the active phosphinic acid-carboxylic acid of the prodrug SQ 28,555 (I), in human serum is presented. Compounds I and II are simultaneously extracted from acidified serum into ethyl acetate, and II is back-extracted into aqueous sodium bicarbonate. Compound I, in ethyl acetate, can be subsequently hydrolyzed and measured as II. The two acidic groups of II are selectively esterified, first by methylation of the carboxylic acid with methanolic hydrochloric acid and then by formation of the hexafluoroisopropyl ester of the phosphinic acid. The resulting product is measured by splitless-injection capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Linear standard curves were obtained for II with a detection limit of less than 10 ng/ml of serum. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of serum samples obtained from normal individuals after administration of I. In an ascending-dose study involving several human subjects the serum levels of II ranged from less than 10 to 7000 ng/ml of serum.

Simultaneous determination of the prodrug zofenopril and its active drug in plasma by capillary gas chromatography-mass-selective detection

After oral administration of zofenopril, the active sulfhydryl angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor is released. Zofenopril is currently under clinical investigation as an antihypertensive. Blood samples are reacted with N-ethylmaleimide, immediately after collection, processed into plasma and stored frozen for subsequent analysis. After addition of two internal reference standards, one each for the prodrug and the active compound, the plasma samples are purified by a combination of liquid-liquid and solid-phase extractions. The dried methylated extracts are reconstituted with tetramethylbenzene and chromatographed by automated splitless injection on a fused-silica capillary column, connected to a mass-selective detector. The analytes and the internal reference standards are chromatographically resolved and a common fragment ion is monitored for the analytes. A limit of quantitation of approximately 1 ng/ml of plasma is achieved.

Determination of ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid in aqueous rinses of detergent-washed rubber stoppers of pharmaceutical vials using solid-phase extraction and capillary gas chromatography

A fused silica capillary gas chromatographic method is presented for the determination of traces of ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA) in aqueous rinses of rubber stoppers of pharmaceutical vials after treatment with detergents containing EDTA. Isolation and enrichment of EDTA from the aqueous medium is achieved using a commercially available strong anion-exchange solid-phase extraction cartridge, transformed to the formate form. A 2.0-ml volume of methanolic HCl is used for both elution of EDTA from the extraction column and formation of the tetramethyl ester derivative. With the incorporation of a methanolic wash to eliminate interfering components prior to elution with methanolic HCl, a limit of detection of 25 ng EDTA per ml water with a non-selective flame ionization detector is possible.

Metabolism of α-Methylfluorene-2-acetic acid (Cicloprofen): Isolation and Identification of Metabolites from Rat Urine

1. Four metabolites of alpha-methylfluorene-2-acetic acid (cicloprofen) have been isolated from rat urine and identified as the 7-hydroxy, 9-hydroxy, 7,9-dihydroxy and 9-hydroxy-9-methoxy derivatives of cicloprofen. 2. 7-Hydroxy cicloprofen was the major metabolite, contributing 47% of the total radioactivity excreted in rat urine. The other three metabolites each contributed approx. 10% of the radioactivity in urine. There was little unchanged drug excreted in urine (2-6%); at least three other minor metabolites have not been identified. 3. A metabolic pathway for the formation of the 9-hydroxy-9-methoxy metabolite of cicloprofen is proposed.

Body fluid analysis of a phosphonic acid angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor using high-performance liquid chromatography and post-column derivatization with o-phthaldehyde

A method is described for the extraction of a phosphonic acid angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor from either urine or plasma, and subsequent quantitation using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis and post-column o-phthalaldehyde reagent derivatization. The compound cannot be quantitatively extracted from the body fluids, but use of a fluorinated internal standard allowed for the computation of accurate results. With the use of an internal standard, excellent precision, linearity, and recovery were obtained for analyte response in both urine and plasma. In urine a working range of 0.2-10 micrograms/ml was found, with a limit of detection of 0.1 micrograms/ml. For plasma the working range was found to be 2-500 ng/ml, and the limit of detection was established as 1 ng/ml. Due to the non-polar character of the analyte at low pH values, it was possible to use novel extraction (solid-phase C8 column) and HPLC [poly(styrenedivinyl benzene) HPLC column] conditions to separate and quantitate the compound from plasma and urine.

Acetalization of acenaphthenequinone

The assignment of structures to the products of reaction of acenaphthenequinone with ethylene glycol is made chiefly on the basis of mass spectroscopy.