Simple and specific electron-capture GLC assay for plasma and urine ephedrine concentrations following single doses

Block of the endplate acetylcholine receptor channel by the sympathomimetic agents ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and albuterol

Recent observations suggest that some patients with congenital myasthenic syndromes respond favorably to ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or albuterol. Conventional microelectrode studies, however, provide no clear explanation for a beneficial effect of ephedrine in endplate diseases. To gain further insight into how these drugs affect neuromuscular transmission, we investigated their effects on the kinetic properties of the acetylcholine (ACh) receptor. Single channel currents were recorded from rat lumbrical muscles endplates using low concentrations of ACh and 2.5-100 microM of drugs. Between 10-100 microM, each drug progressively increased the rate of channel closure in a concentration dependent manner, consistent with an open-channel block. Albuterol acted as a sequential fast-acting channel blocker, increasing the mean burst duration in a concentration dependent manner without altering the total open time per burst or the duration of intraburst blockages. Increasing concentrations of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine also increased the number of intraburst closures but decreased the total open time per burst. None of the drugs altered single channel conductance. The channel blocking effects of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine might reduce the synaptic overactivity that occurs in the slow-channel myasthenic syndromes or in endplate ACh esterase deficiency, but these effects occur at concentrations not attainable in clinical practice.

Simultaneous quantification of ephedrines in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, norpseudoephedrine and methylephedrine in urine is described. Samples were extracted at basic pH into diethyl ether and then back extracted into a small volume of acetic acid. These extracts were chromatographed on a Phase Sep Spherisorb ODS 1 column with tetraethylammoniumphosphate-methanol mobile phase and the analytes were detected by UV absorbance at 214nm. Calibration curves were linear over the range 0.5-100 microgram/ml for each analyte. The selectivity of the method was demonstrated for several drugs found with the ephedrines in pharmaceutical formulations. This method has an excellent accuracy, precision and recovery for all the ephedrine at the cut-off concentrations as set by the IOC for a positive doping case and can thus be used to quantify these ephedrines when present in the urine obtained from sportspersons.

Ephedrine: effects on neuromuscular transmission

(-)-Ephedrine has been used in the treatment of patients with myasthenia gravis. To investigate the possible effects of ephedrine on neuromuscular transmission, canine intercostal muscle endplates were studied by microelectrode techniques. At concentrations less than 10(-4) M, ephedrine had no effect on neuromuscular transmission. At a concentration of 10(-4) M, ephedrine increased the quantal content of the endplate potential by 21%. The presynaptic store of acetylcholine quanta available for immediate release was unchanged, but the probability of quantal release was increased by 16%. At this concentration, ephedrine decreased the amplitude of the miniature endplate potential by 38%. In the presence of 10(-3) M ephedrine, the miniature endplate potentials and currents became undetectable. The kinetic properties of the acetylcholine receptor channel were studied by analysis of acetylcholine-induced endplate current noise. At 10(-4) M, ephedrine reduced the channel conductance by 43% but had no effect on the open time. At 5 x 10(-4) M, ephedrine reduced the channel conductance by 84% and increased the open time by 23 percent.

Gas chromatographic quantitation of methoxyphenamine and three of its metabolites in plasma

Sensitive gas chromatographic procedures for the determination of methoxyphenamine and three of its metabolites in plasma have been developed. The metabolites were measured using an electron-capture detector. This simple procedure is based on the precipitation of protein from a 1-ml plasma sample with 10% trichloroacetic acid, followed by aqueous derivatization with pentafluorobenzoyl chloride at pH 9.2 and a single-step cyclohexane extraction. The lower limit of detection for the N-desmethyl, O-desmethyl and aromatic 5-hydroxy metabolites of methoxyphenamine were 1.6, 3.1 and 2.2 ng ml-1, respectively, with coefficients of variation less than 10%. The poor electron-capture response of fluorinated derivatives of methoxyphenamine necessitated the use of nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Extractive derivatization with pentafluorobenzoyl chloride, without the need for protein precipitation, enabled quantitation of methoxyphenamine down to 3.8 ng ml-1 from a 2-ml aliquot of plasma. In a pilot study involving healthy volunteers who received a single oral dose of methoxyphenamine hydrochloride plasma concentration could be followed in all three subjects for at least 24, 32, 12 and 4 h for methoxyphenamine and the O-desmethyl, 5-hydroxy and N-desmethyl metabolites, respectively.

Stereospecific radioimmunoassays for l-ephedrine and d-ephedrine in human plasma

Haptens were prepared by the reaction of d-ephedrine or l-ephedrine with methyl acrylate and subsequent alkaline hydrolysis of the methyl ester groups. The haptens were coupled to bovine serum albumin by a mixed anhydride method, and the resulting drug-protein conjugates were used to immunize rabbits. Antisera raised to these conjugates were highly stereospecific. Neither antiserum cross-reacted with the optical antipode of its substrate nor with racemic pseudoephedrine. Separate radioimmunoassays (RIAs), developed for d-ephedrine and l-ephedrine, were used to measure the concentrations of the enantiomers of ephedrine in the blood of two volunteers dosed with racemic ephedrine. The RIAs were validated by comparing the sum of the concentrations of the enantiomers, determined by RIA, with total ephedrine concentrations determined by a nonstereoselective GLC-ECD method.

Rapid and highly sensitive method for determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in urine by electron-capture gas chromatography

A rapid and sensitive method for determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in urine was developed by using electron-capture gas chromatography. The extraction procedure, the experimental conditions for pentafluorobenzoyl derivative formation and the percentage recovery of the drugs from urine are described. The pentafluorobenzoyl derivative of methamphetamine showed a higher electron-capture sensitivity and was detected in at least 23-fold lower concentration than the heptafluorobutyryl derivative which is commonly used as a derivatizing agent for the amine. The detection limit of pentafluorobenzoyl derivatives of methamphetamine and amphetamine was ca. 10 pg. A concentration as low as 10 ng/ml of methamphetamine and amphetamine in urine was easily detected by this method.