ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To develop a rapid and sensitive LC/MS/MS method for the analysis of levodropropizine in plasma and study the pharmacokinetics of levodropropizine in healthy Chinese volunteers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Levodropropizine and zolmitriptan (internal standard, IS) were extracted from plasma samples and chromatographed on a C18 column and detected using a tandem mass spectrometer with a TurboIon Spray ionization interface. Quantitation was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of the transitions of the m/z 237 --> m/z 120 for levodropropizine and m/z 288 --> m/z 58 for the IS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The limit of quantification of the method for levodropropizine was 0.25 microg x L(-1). The assay was linear over the concentration range from 0.25 to 500.0 microg x L(-1) and intra- and inter-day precision over this range were < 11.4% with good accuracy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method is shown to be accurate, and suitable for clinical pharmacokinetic study of levodropropizine.</p>