Determination of WR-1065 and WR-33278 by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A liquid chromatographic method using electrochemical detection is presented for measuring the thiol WR-1065 12-(3-aminopropylamino) ethanethiol] and its symmetrical disulfide WR-33278 [NH2(CH2)3NHCH2CH2S]2. WR- 1065 is the active, radioprotective drug derived from the phosphorothioate pro-drug WR-2721 (amifostine). External standard curves for both compounds were linear over the range of 40-200 pmol injected (r2 = 0.999 and 0.996 for the thiol and disulfide, respectively). The detection and quantitation limits for WR-1065 were 9 and 18 pmol, respectively, whereas the corresponding values for WR-33278 were 30 and 59 pmol, respectively. Within- and between-day determinations of measurement Vision and accuracy for both compounds validated the suitability of this assay method.

Determination of the cytoprotective agent WR-2721 (Amifostine, Ethyol) and its metabolites in human blood using monobromobimane fluorescent labeling and high-performance liquid chromatography.

PURPOSE: WR-2721 [S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid] is a chemoprotective agent that is currently in pediatric clinical trials. It is a prodrug that is dephosphorylated by alkaline phosphatase to the active free thiol form, WR-1065 [S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethanethiol]. It is likely that adequate and sustained cellular levels of the drug are necessary for optimum cytoprotection. To date, a method to measure both plasma and cellular levels of WR-2721 and its metabolites in clinical samples has not been available. METHODS: In the study reported here the monobromobimane (mBBr) fluorescent labeling method was used to measure these levels when drug was added in vitro to blood samples from normal volunteers. In addition, we present pharmacokinetic data from a pediatric patient receiving WR-2721 (825 mg/m2 x 2). RESULTS: The results can be summarized as follows: (1) WR-2721 was detected in the patient's plasma with a half-life of about 10 min; (2) the WR-1065 concentration in the blood cellular fraction was similar to that of plasma; (3) both WR-1065 and WR-SS-low molecular weight (WR-SS-LMW) metabolites disappeared from plasma and the cellular fraction by 3.6 h after WR-2721 infusion; (4) a large proportion of WR-1065 was oxidized in plasma to WR-SS protein and WR-SS-LMW; (5) a large proportion of WR-1065 in the cellular fraction was oxidized to WR-SS-protein; (6) the WR-SS-LMW concentration in the cellular fraction was low; and (7) saturation of plasma and cellular protein binding sites was possible. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacokinetic data that were generated with this technique could guide clinical trials using WR-2721.

Pharmacokinetic profile of amifostine.

This article reviews the chemistry, measurement, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of the cytoprotective agent amifostine. Validated analytic methodology to measure parent drug and pharmacologically active metabolites and pharmacokinetic studies are essential to the efficient performance and analysis of clinical studies. Well-validated analytic methods developed in the authors' laboratory were used to characterize this agent. Amifostine [s-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethyl-phosphorothioate] is the phosphorylated pro-drug form of the active free thiol drug WR-1065 [2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethanethiol]. Observations described here support the hypothesis that amifostine is dephosphorylated rapidly by alkaline phosphatase present on the plasma membranes of the arteriolar endothelium of various normal tissues and on the plasma membranes of the kidneys' proximal tubular epithelium to its active thiol metabolite WR-1065, which in turn immediately enters normal tissues. Other metabolites that have been identified are WR-33278, the symmetrical disulfide of WR-1065; the mixed disulfides WR-1065-cysteine and WR-1065-glutathione; and cysteamine. Amifostine was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use as a cytoprotector in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Current pharmacokinetic studies in cancer patients are focusing on establishing a population model as a basis for developing limited sampling strategies for future investigations of the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic behavior of amifostine.

Determination of the anticancer drug metabolite WR1065 using pre-column derivatization and diode laser induced fluorescence detection.

A liquid chromatographic (LC) procedure using alumina as stationary phase in both the pre- and the analytical column, is reported for the determination of WR1065, the active metabolite of the amino- and thiol-containing anticancer drug WR2721. After pre-column derivatization of the thiol group, the analyte is determined by LC with diode laser induced fluorescence detection in the near-infrared. Selective removal of excess label is achieved by means of column switching; it allows the detection of 5 x 10(-9) M WR1065 in water and 10-fold diluted, deproteinated plasma samples. The detection limit is determined by the derivatization reaction and not by the fluorescence detection of the labelled analyte. Endogeneous thiols do not interfere.

Measurements of glutathione and other thiols in cells and tissues: a simplified procedure based on the HPLC separation of monobromobimane derivatives of thiols.

Although there is intense interest in the role of thiols in controlling the efficiency of radiosensitizers, and in developing thiols (or pro-drugs liberating thiols) as radioprotectors, there is little information regarding the concentration of specific thiols in cells, tumors and normal tissues. Details are presented of a modified procedure using the thiol binding agent monobromobimane with separation using paired-ion reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This method has been extended to include measurements of the radiosensitizer misonidazole and its desmethylated metabolite Ro 05-9963 in tissues.