Determination of finasteride and its metabolite in urine by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with field-enhanced sample stacking and sweeping.

The on-line preconcentration technique of field-enhanced sample stacking and sweeping (FESS-sweeping) are combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) to monitor the concentrations of finasteride, which is used in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, and its metabolite, finasteride carboxylic acid (M3), in urine samples. DLLME is used to concentrate and eliminate the interferences of urine samples and uses chloroform as an extracting solvent and acetonitrile as a disperser solvent. A high conductivity buffer (HCB) was introduced into capillary and then sample plug (90.7% capillary length) was injected into capillary. After applying voltage, the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) swept the analytes from the low conductivity sample solution into HCB. The analytes were concentrated on the field-enhanced sample stacking boundary. The limit of detection for the analytes is 20 ng mL-1. The sensitivity enrichment of finasteride and M3 are 362-fold and 480-fold, respectively, compared with the conventional MEKC method. The on-line preconcentration technique of field-enhanced sample stacking and sweeping possess good selectivity because the endogenous steroid did not interfere the detection of finasteride and M3. The analytical technique is applied to investigate the concentrations in urine samples from patients who have been administered finasteride for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia; the amount of M3 detected in 12 h was 72.69 ±â€¯4.18 µg.

High-resolution mass spectrometric investigation of the phase I and II metabolites of finasteride in pig plasma, urine and bile.

1. The metabolite profile of the 5α-reductase type II inhibitor finasteride has been studied in pig plasma, urine and bile using high-resolution mass spectrometry. The porcine biotransformation products were compared to those formed by human liver microsomes and to literature data of recently identified human in vivo metabolites. The objective of this study was to gain further evidence for the validity of using pigs for advanced, invasive drug-drug interaction studies that are not possible to perform in humans. 2. The use of high-resolution mass spectrometry with accurate mass measurements enabled identification of the metabolites by calculation of their elemental compositions as well as their fragmentation patterns. 3. There was an excellent match between the porcine and human metabolic profiles, corroborating the pig as a model of human drug metabolism. The glucuronides of the two recently described human hydroxylated metabolites MX and MY and the carboxylated metabolite M3 were identified as the major biotransformation products of finasteride in pig urine and bile. 4. Furthermore, the CYP enzymes involved in the formation of the hydroxylated metabolites were characterized. Human recombinant CYP3A4 could produce the two major hydroxylated metabolites MX and MY, whereas human recombinant CYP2D6 formed MY only.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for doping control of 5alpha-reductase inhibitors finasteride and dutasteride.

Finasteride and dutasteride are 5alpha-reductase inhibitors included in the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances. Two highly sensitive and selective ELISA assays were developed for these compounds. Polyclonal rabbit antibodies were raised using synthesized haptens and other commercial products. The best immunoassay obtained, based on an antibody-coated format, showed a limit of detection of 0.01 microg L(-1) and an IC(50) of 0.75 microg L(-1) for finasteride (cross-reactivity with dutasteride<4%). The second assay allowed finasteride and dutasteride determination, with limits of detection of 0.013 and 0.021 microg L(-1), and IC(50) values 0.18 and 1.18 microg L(-1), respectively. Both assays were highly selective to a set of anabolic steroids, but they showed 37% and 30% cross-reactivity with the major urinary metabolite of finasteride, allowing its determination. The developed ELISA had better sensitivity than HPLC/MS/MS method and was applied as a screening technique to quantify dutasteride, finasteride, and its main metabolite in human urine without sample pre-treatment. Moreover, the analysis of dutasteride's excretion urines by ELISA was used to obtain its human excretion rate, essential to improve the analytical strategies about this type of drugs (permitted as medicines and prohibited in sport) and to establish an effective anti-doping policy.

The effect of St. John's wort on the pharmacokinetics, metabolism and biliary excretion of finasteride and its metabolites in healthy men.

The aim of this study was to investigate what the consequences of induced drug metabolism, caused by St. John's wort (SJW, Hypericum perforatum) treatment, would have on the plasma, biliary and urinary pharmacokinetics of finasteride and its two previously identified phase I metabolites (hydroxy-finasteride and carboxy-finasteride). Twelve healthy men were administered 5mg finasteride directly to the intestine via a catheter with a multi-channel tubing system, Loc-I-Gut, before and after 14 days SJW (300mg b.i.d, hyperforin 4%) treatment. Bile samples were withdrawn via the Loc-I-Gut device from the proximal jejunum. LC-ESI-MS/MS was used to analyze finasteride and its metabolites in plasma, bile and urine. HPLC-UV was used to analyze hyperforin in plasma. The herbal treatment significantly reduced the peak plasma concentration (C(max)), the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0-24h)) and the elimination half-life (t(1/2)) of finasteride. The geometric mean ratios (90% CI) were 0.42 (0.36-0.49), 0.66 (0.56-0.79) and 0.54 (0.48-0.61), respectively. Finasteride was excreted unchanged to a minor extent into bile and urine. Hydroxy-finasteride was not detected in plasma, bile or urine. Carboxy-finasteride was quantified in all three compartments and its plasma pharmacokinetics was significantly affected by SJW treatment. Hyperforin concentration in plasma was 21+/-7ng/ml approximately 12h after the last dose of the 14 days SJW treatment. In conclusion, SJW treatment for 2 weeks induced the metabolism of finasteride and caused a reduced plasma exposure of the drug. New knowledge was gained about the biliary and urinary excretion or the drug and its metabolites.