High performance liquid chromatographic determination of azelastine and desmethylazelastine in guinea pig plasma and lung tissue.

Analytical methods have been developed for the simultaneous quantitation of azelastine (AZ) and desmethylazelastine (DAZ) in guinea pig plasma and lung tissue. The methods require a 1.00 mL plasma sample and a minimum 0.100 g lung sample. Both methods employ liquid/liquid organic extraction and back-extraction into dilute acid. Quantitation is performed by high performance liquid chromatography on a 2 x 250 mm 5 microns Hypersil CPS column using fluorescence detection. The linear quantitative ranges for AZ.HCl and DAZ.HBr in plasma are 0.156-160 ng/mL and 0.313-160 ng/mL, respectively. The linear quantitative ranges for AZ.HCl and DAZ.HBr in lung tissue are 0.039-20 micrograms/g for both.

Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies with azelastine in the guinea pig: evidence for preferential distribution into the lung.

The correlation between the antiasthma activity of azelastine and the concentrations of azelastine and its major metabolite, desmethylazelastine, in the blood and lung were investigated in guinea pigs. Blood and lung tissue samples collected at 15 min after aeroallergen (ovalbumin, 0.5 mg/ml, 30 s, 15 psi) challenge, i.e., 2-1/4 h after oral administration of the drug, were analyzed for azelastine and its desmethyl metabolite by specific HPLC assay. Azelastine afforded protection against immediate allergic responses (IAR, characterized by gasping and bronchospasmic convulsions). Based on the reduction of the severity of IAR, the ID50 was 0.04 mg/kg. It also delayed the onset of IAR and prevented mortalities. A positive correlation (r2 = 0.944) between the antiallergic activity and the sum concentrations of azelastine and desmethylazelastine in the lung was observed. Preferential uptake of azelastine and desmethylazelastine by the lung was demonstrated by the mean lung/blood ratio of about 22 and 146, respectively. The selective uptake of azelastine and its active metabolite by the lungs could contribute to its antiasthmatic/antiallergic activity in guinea pigs.