Dose-linear pharmacokinetics of oleanolic acid after intravenous and oral administration in rats.

The pharmacokinetics of oleanolic acid was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. From Caco-2 cell permeation studies, oleanolic acid was a low permeability compound with no directional effects, suggesting a low in vivo absorption mediated by a passive diffusion. Oleanolic acid was metabolically unstable following incubation with rat liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH. After intravenous injection at doses of 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg doses, oleanolic acid showed dose-linear pharmacokinetics as evidenced by unaltered CL (28.6-33.0 ml/min/kg), Vss (437-583 ml/kg), dose-normalized AUC (16.0-17.9 microg min/ml based on 1 mg/kg) and t1/2 (41.9-52.7 min). Following oral administration of oleanolic acid at doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg, Tmax, t1/2, dose-normalized Cmax (66-74 ng/ml based on 25 mg/kg) and dose-normalized AUC (5.4-5.9 microg min/ml based on 25 mg/kg) were comparable between 25 and 50 mg/kg dose, but the plasma concentrations at 10 mg/kg dose were not measurable as they were below the limit of quantitation (2 ng/ml). The absolute oral bioavailability was 0.7% for oral doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg. The extent of urinary excretion was minimal for both i.v. and oral doses. The very low oral bioavailability of oleanolic acid could be due to a poor absorption and extensive metabolic clearance.

Determination of gabapentin in human plasma using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

A rapid, sensitive and selective method for the determination of gabapentin in human plasma was developed using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC/MS/MS). The devised method involved protein precipitation with acetonitrile followed by separation on an Atlantis HILIC silica column using an acetonitrile/ammonium formate mobile phase (100 mM, pH 3.0) (85:15, v/v). Analytes were detected using an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer in the multiple-reaction monitoring mode. The standard curve was linear (r = 1.000) over the concentration range of 50.0-10000 ng/mL. The lower limit of quantification for gabapentin was 50.0 ng/mL (ca. 20 pg gabapentin) using a 10-microL plasma sample. The coefficients of variation and relative errors for intra- and inter-assay at four QC levels (i.e., 50.0, 125, 750, and 7500 ng/mL) were 4.7 to 9.4% and -4.1 to 1.6%, respectively. Absolute and relative matrix effects for gabapentin and metformin were practically absent. Gabapentin and metformin recoveries were 98.5% and 99.0%, respectively. This method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of gabapentin in humans.

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of levofloxacin in human plasma.

A rapid, sensitive and selective hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (HILIC-MS/MS) method for the determination of levofloxacin in human plasma was developed. Levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin (internal standard) were extracted from human plasma with dichloromethane and analyzed on an Atlantis HILIC Silica column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-ammonium formate (100 mM, pH 6.5) (82:18 v/v). The analytes were detected using an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple-reaction-monitoring mode. The standard curve was linear (r>0.999) over the concentration range of 10.0-5000 ng/ml. The lower limit of quantification for levofloxacin was 10.0 ng/ml using 20 microl plasma sample. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra- and inter-assay at four QC levels were 2.9-7.8% and -7.3% to -2.2%, respectively. The recoveries of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were 55.2% and 77.3%, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of levofloxacin in humans.

Pharmacokinetics of lithospermic acid B isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza in rats.

The absorption and pharmacokinetics of an active component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, lithospermic acid B (LSB), was investigated after intravenous and oral administration of doses of 10 or 50 mg LSB/kg to rats. Concentrations of LSB were determined by a validated liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) assay method. After intravenous administration of 50 mg/kg, dose-normalized (10 mg/kg) area under the curve (AUC) (993 microg.min/ml) was significantly greater than that at 10 mg/kg (702 microg.min/ml). The slower clearance Cl-at 50 mg/kg could be due to saturable metabolism of LSB in rats, and this could be supported by significantly slower Cl(NR) and significantly greater 24-h urinary excretion of LSB at 50 mg/kg than at 10 mg/kg. Following oral administration of LSB, the extent of LSB recovered from the entire gastrointestinal tract at 24 h ranged from 41.2% to 23.3%. Although LSB was not detected (limit of quantitation 10 ng/ml) in plasma after oral dose of 10 mg/kg, the absolute oral bioavailability at 50 mg/kg was 5%. Since LSB was shown to have low permeability through the Caco-2 cell monolayers, the low bioavailability of LSB could be due to poor absorption and metabolism.

Metabolism of a novel antiangiogenic agent KR-31831 in rats using liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry.

KR-31831 ((2S,3R,4S)-4-(((1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl)(4-chlorophenyl)amino)-6-amino-2-(dimethoxymethyl)-2-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-3-ol) is a novel antiangiogenic agent. In vitro and in vivo metabolism of KR-31831 in rats has been investigated using LC-MS and LC-MS/MS analysis. Incubation of rat liver microsomes and hepatocytes with KR-31831 produced three metabolites (M1-M3). M1, M2, and M3 were identified as N-((1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl)-4-chlorobenzenamine, (2R,3R,4S)-4-(((1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl)(4-chlorophenyl) amino)-6-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-3-ol, and N-((2S,3R,4S)-4- (((1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl)(4-chlorophenyl)amino)-2-(dimethoxymethyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-6yl)acetamide, respectively, by co-chromatography with the authentic standards and by comparison with product ion spectra of the authentic standards. Those in vitro metabolites were also detected in bile, plasma, or urine samples after an intravenous administration of KR-31831 to rats. The metabolic routes for KR-31381 included the metabolism of acetal group to hydroxymethyl group (M2), N-dealkylation to M1, and N-acetylation at the 6-amino group (M3).

Characterization of human liver cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of a new H+/K+-ATPase inhibitor KR-60436.

KR-60436 ([1-(4-methoxy-2-methylphenyl)-4-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-6-trifluoromethoxy-2,3-dihydropyrrolo [3,2-c]quinoline]) is a new reversible H+/K+-ATPase inhibitor. The isoforms of human liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) responsible for the hepatic transformation of KR-60436 is identified. Dihydropyrrole oxidation and O-demethylation are major pathways for the metabolism of KR-60436 in human liver microsomes, whereas N-dehydroxyethylation and hydroxylation are minor pathways. The specific CYP isozymes responsible for KR-60436 oxidation to four major metabolites, pyrrole-KR-60436, O-demethylpyrrole-KR-60436, N-dehydroxyethyl-KR-60436 and an active metabolite, O-demethyl-KR-60436 were identified using the combination of correlation analysis, immuno-inhibition, chemical inhibition in human liver microsomes and metabolism by expressed recombinant CYP enzymes. The inhibitory potency of KR-60436 on clinically major CYPs was investigated in human liver microsomes. The results show that CYP3A4 contributes to the oxidation of KR-60436 to pyrrole-KR-60436, O-demethylpyrrole-KR-60436 and N-dehydroxyethyl-KR-60436, and CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 play roles in demethylation of KR-60436 to form the active metabolite, O-demethyl-KR-60436. KR-60436 was found to inhibit potently the metabolism of CYP1A2 substrates.

Determination of tiapride in human plasma using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A rapid, sensitive and selective hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (HILIC-MS/MS) method for the determination of tiapride in human plasma was developed. Tiapride and internal standard, metoclopramide were extracted from human plasma with dichloromethane at basic pH and analyzed on an Atlantis HILIC silica column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-ammonium formate (190 mM, pH 3.0) (94:6, v/v). The analytes were detected using an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple-reaction-monitoring mode. The standard curve was linear (r=0.999) over the concentration range of 1.00-200 ng/mL. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra- and interassay at three QC levels were 6.4-8.8% and -2.0-3.6%, respectively. The recoveries of tiapride ranged from 96.3 to 97.4%, with that of metoclopramide (internal standard) being 94.2%. The lower limit of quantification for tiapride was 1.00 ng/mL using 100 microL of plasma sample.

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of levosulpiride in human plasma.

A rapid, sensitive and selective hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (HILIC-MS/MS) method for the determination of levosulpiride in human plasma was developed. Levosulpiride and internal standard, tiapride were extracted from human plasma with ethyl acetate at pH 11 and analyzed on an Atlantis HILIC silica column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-ammonium formate (190 mM, pH 3.0) (94:6, v/v). The analytes were detected using an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple-reaction-monitoring mode. The standard curve was linear (r = 0.999) over the concentration range of 1.00-200 ng/ml. The lower limit of quantification for levosulpiride was 1.00 ng/ml using 100 microl plasma sample. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra- and inter-assay at three quality control (QC) levels were 3.8-9.1 and -2.9 to -0.1%, respectively. The recoveries of levosulpiride ranged from 80.5 to 87.4%, with that of tiapride (internal standard) being 84.6%. This method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of levosulpiride in humans.

Simultaneous determination of ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rg(1) in human plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric (LC/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rg(1) in human plasma was developed. The method involved the protein precipitation followed by analysis of ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rg(1) in an Atlantis C(18) column with the gradient elution of acetonitrile and ammonium formate (10mM, pH 3.0) at a flow rate of 0.2 ml/min. The analytes were determined using electrospray negative ionization mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode. The standard curves for ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rg(1) were linear over the concentration range of 10.0-1000 ng/ml. The lower limit of quantification was 10.0 ng/ml using 100 microl plasma sample. The coefficient of variation of intra- and inter-day assays for ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rg(1) at three quality control levels ranged from 1.0 to 6.8% and 5.4 to 9.8%, respectively. Ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rg(1) were stable in blank human plasma at room temperature for 24h and following three freeze-thaw cycles.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of lithospermic acid B in rat serum.

A rapid, sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/ MS) method for the determination of lithospermic acid B (LSB) in rat serum was developed. LSB and internal standard, 7-hydroxy-3-phenyl-chromen-4-one (HPC) were extracted from rat serum with methyl-tert-butyl ether at acidic pH and analyzed on a Luna C8 column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-ammonium formate (10 mM, pH 6.5) (50:50, v/v). The analytes were detected using a negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple-reaction-monitoring mode. The standard curve was linear (r2= 0.997) over the concentration range of 10.0-500 ng/mL. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra- and interassay at three QC levels were 1.1 approximately 6.2% and -10.3 approximately -2.7%, respectively. The recovery of LSB from serum sample ranged from 73.2 to 79.5%, with that of HPC (internal standard) being 75.1 %. The lower limit of quantification for LSB was 10 ng/mL using 50 microL of serum sample.