Determination of serum atorvastatin concentrations in lipid-controlling patients with and without myalgia syndrome

Exploring monocarboxylate transporter inhibition for cancer treatment

Cells are separated from the environment by a lipid bilayer membrane that is relatively impermeable to solutes. The transport of ions and small molecules across this membrane is an essential process in cell biology and metabolism. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) belong to a vast family of solute carriers (SLCs) that facilitate the transport of certain hydrophylic small compounds through the bilipid cell membrane. The existence of 446 genes that code for SLCs is the best evidence of their importance. In-depth research on MCTs is quite recent and probably promoted by their role in cancer development and progression. Importantly, it has recently been realized that these transporters represent an interesting target for cancer treatment. The search for clinically useful monocarboxylate inhibitors is an even more recent field. There is limited pre-clinical and clinical experience with new inhibitors and their precise mechanism of action is still under investigation. What is common to all of them is the inhibition of lactate transport. This review discusses the structure and function of MCTs, their participation in cancer, and old and newly developed inhibitors. Some suggestions on how to improve their anticancer effects are also discussed.

Gelatin-decorated Graphene oxide: A nanocarrier for delivering pH-responsive drug for improving therapeutic efficacy against atherosclerotic plaque

The progressive inflammatory disease atherosclerosis promotes myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart attack. Anti-inflammatory drugs treat severe atherosclerosis. They are inadequate bioavailability and cause adverse effects at higher doses. A new nanomaterial coupled pH-apperceptive drug delivery system for atherosclerotic plaque is outlined here. We have synthesized a Graphene Oxide-Gelatin-Atorvastatin (GO-Gel-ATR) nanodrug characterized by spectroscopic and imaging techniques. The encapsulation efficiency of GO-Gel-ATR (79.2%) in the loading process is observed to be better than GO-ATR (66.8%). The internal milieu of the plaque cells has a pH of 6.8. The GO-Gel-ATR displays sustained and cumulative release profile at pH 6.8 compared to ATR and GO-ATR. Our proposed nanocomposite demonstrated high cytocompatibility up to 100μg/mL in foam cells induced by Oxidized-Low Density Lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) and Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) compared to normal macrophages for 24 and 48 h. The uptake efficacy of the nanodrugs is shown to be enhanced in foam cells compared to normal macrophage. Oil red O staining of foam cells with and without drugs confirmed therapeutic efficacy. Foam cells treated with nanocomposite had more lipids efflux than ATR. The finding of the in-vitro study reveals that the GO-Gel-ATR nanocomposite carriers have the potential to deliver anti-atherosclerotic drugs effectively and inhibit atherosclerotic plaque progression.

Development and validation of an analytical method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the therapeutic drug monitoring of seven cardiovascular drugs in clinical usage

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of cardiovascular drugs is essential to improve treatment efficacy and minimize toxicity because of the usage of multiple drugs with a very limited therapeutic range and the high pharmacokinetic variation in patients. We developed and validated a reliable and economical liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of seven cardiovascular drugs-procainamide, lidocaine, quinidine, deslanoside, digoxin, atorvastatin, and digitoxin-for clinical usage. Serum samples were prepared by simple protein precipitation with an organic solvent consisting of acetonitrile and methanol (2:1 v/v) and analyzed under optimized LC-MS/MS conditions. The chromatographic separations were accomplished within 15 min on a reversed-phase C18 column with a gradient elution of aqueous solvent and acetonitrile while maintaining 0.1 (v/v) % formic acid and 2 mM ammonium formate. The optimized MS/MS conditions in ESI-positive mode offered sufficient sensitivity for the seven cardiovascular drugs (LOQs between 0.5 and 1 ng/mL). This method was fully validated including linearity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, carry-over, and matrix effects. Additionally, stability under several conditions was tested to determine how to handle the standard solutions and serum samples. The seven cardiovascular drugs, simultaneously, were precisely and accurately analyzed in intra- and inter-day assays (RSD < 6 % and recovery between 96.3 and 102.8 %) using only two isotope-labeled internal standards (lidocaine-(diethyl-d10) and digoxin-21, 21, 22-d3). The presented method also showed good accuracy in analyzing the seven drugs in hyperlipidemia, hyperalbuminemia, and hyperglycemia serum, allowing it to be recommended as a common and routine analysis method for cardiovascular drugs in clinical practice.

A review on liquid chromatographic methods for the bioanalysis of atorvastatin

Background

The unsatisfied clinical need has encouraged the development and validation of bioanalytical procedures for the quantification of drugs in biological samples because the monitoring of drug concentrations helps in personalizing the patient’s pharmacotherapy, assessing the adherence to therapy, and is also extensively useful for pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions studies.

Main Body

The present review aimed to provide insightful information about the various liquid chromatographic methods developed till 2019 for the analysis and quantification of atorvastatin, its metabolites, and co-administered drugs in the various biological matrices like the serum, plasma, and urine with special emphasis on sample preparation techniques applied before chromatographic analysis along with different chromatographic conditions and their validation data. A total of 88 published papers that have used liquid chromatography techniques to quantify atorvastatin in biological fluids are included in the study. Out of the total reported liquid chromatographic methods, 34% used UV spectrophotometer as a detector, and 55% used MS/MS as a detector. Whereas 38% of them used protein precipitation procedure, 33% applied liquid-liquid extraction approach, and 12% employed solid-phase extraction technique for sample preparation.

Conclusion

In the last decade, numerous bioanalytical procedures have been developed for the quantification of atorvastatin in different biological samples using liquid chromatographic techniques. Moreover, advancement in technology developed several new and advanced sample preparation approaches like dispersive liquid-liquid extraction, microextraction by packed sorbent, which have high recovery rates than conventional procedures. Thus, the summarized review may be consulted as an informative tool to support the optimization of new bioanalytical methods for the quantification of atorvastatin.

Organofluorine Mass Balance Analysis of Whole Blood Samples in Relation to Gender and Age

Studies have highlighted the increasing fraction of unidentified organofluorine (UOF) compounds in human blood, whose health effects are not known. In this study, 130 whole blood samples from the Swedish general population were analyzed for extractable organofluorine (EOF) and selected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Organofluorine mass balance analysis revealed that 60% (0-99%) of the EOF in female samples could not be explained by the 63 monitored PFAS; in males, 41% (0-93%) of the EOF was of unidentified origin. Significant differences between both age groups and gender were seen, with the highest fraction of UOF in young females (70% UOF, aged 18-44), which is contrary to what has been reported in the literature for commonly monitored compounds (e.g., perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, PFOS). Increasing the number of monitored PFAS did not lead to a large decrease of the UOF fraction; the seven highest PFAS (C8-C11 PFCAs, C6-C8 PFSAs) accounted for 98% of sum 63 PFAS. The high fraction of UOF in human samples is of concern, as the chemical species of these organofluorine compounds remain unknown and thus their potential health risks cannot be assessed.

Review of Chromatographic Methods Coupled with Modern Detection Techniques Applied in the Therapeutic Drugs Monitoring (TDM)

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a tool used to integrate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics knowledge to optimize and personalize various drug therapies. The optimization of drug dosing may improve treatment outcomes, reduce toxicity, and reduce the risk of developing drug resistance. To adequately implement TDM, accurate and precise analytical procedures are required. In clinical practice, blood is the most commonly used matrix for TDM; however, less invasive samples, such as dried blood spots or non-invasive saliva samples, are increasingly being used. The choice of sample preparation method, type of column packing, mobile phase composition, and detection method is important to ensure accurate drug measurement and to avoid interference from matrix effects and drug metabolites. Most of the reported procedures used liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) techniques due to its high selectivity and sensitivity. High-performance chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) methods are also used when a simpler and more cost-effective methodology is desired for clinical monitoring. The application of high-performance chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) with and without derivatization processes and high-performance chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED) techniques for the analysis of various drugs in biological samples for TDM have been described less often. Before chromatographic analysis, samples were pretreated by various procedures-most often by protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, and solid-phase extraction, rarely by microextraction by packed sorbent, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The aim of this article is to review the recent literature (2010-2020) regarding the use of liquid chromatography with various detection techniques for TDM.

Simvastatin, at clinically relevant concentrations, affects human uterine leiomyoma growth and extracellular matrix production

OBJECTIVE

To observe the antifibroid effects of therapeutic concentrations of simvastatin, which interferes with cholesterol biosynthesis, a known precursor of five major classes of steroid hormones, including progesterone and estrogen, which play a major role in the development and growth of uterine leiomyomas.

DESIGN

Two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell culture study of immortalized human leiomyoma and patient-matched myometrium cells treated with simvastatin.

SETTING

University laboratory.

PATIENT(S)

None.

INTERVENTIONS(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Cell proliferation, alteration in apoptotic signaling pathways, and extracellular matrix (ECM) protein production.

RESULT(S)

Simvastatin demonstrated a concentration-dependent antiproliferative effect on both the leiomyoma cells and the patient-matched myometrium cells, but a higher inhibitory effect at lower concentrations of simvastatin was observed in leiomyoma cells. Simvastatin also regulated leiomyoma cell apoptosis through a concentration-dependent increase in activity of caspase-3. Simvastatin significantly inhibited expression of major ECM proteins collagen I, collagen III, fibronectin, versican, and brevican in leiomyoma cells at concentrations as low as 10^-9 mol/L within 48 hours of exposure.

CONCLUSION(S)

Simvastatin induces apoptosis in uterine leiomyoma cells at low concentrations, as evidenced by increased active caspase levels. Furthermore, inhibited production of the ECM proteins may lead to reduction in tumor size. Simvastatin may represent a novel therapeutic treatment strategy for uterine leiomyomas.

Simultaneous separation of antihyperlipidemic drugs by green ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector method: Improving the health of liquid chromatography

Statins in combination with fibrates show beneficial effects on the lipoprotein profile of patients because they have positive complimentary effects on lipid profile. A new green ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector method for simultaneous analysis of simvastatin (SMV) and fenofibrate (FNF) in standard form, marketed formulations, and self-emulsifying drug delivery system formulations was developed and validated in the present investigation. The method utilized C₁₈ as stationary phase and a combination of methanol:water (8:2) as an eluent. It was found that selected eluent provided short run time (2.5 minutes), better peak symmetry and satisfactory values of other chromatographic parameters such as resolution (Rs = 2.325), capacity factor (k, 3.0 and 4.2 for SMV and FNF, respectively), selectivity (α = 1.4), and number of theoretical plates (N, 4265 and 5285 for SMV and FNF, respectively). An excellent linear relationship (r² 0.998 and 0.997 for SMV and FNF, respectively) was observed for linear regression data for the calibration plots. The developed system was validated for accuracy, precision, robustness (^> 2% for both drugs) and recovery (98–102% for both drugs). Results obtained from the statistical treatment of the values obtained for different parameters proved that the method is suitable, reproducible, and selective for the simultaneous analysis of SMV and FNF in bulk, marketed, and self-emulsifying drug delivery system formulations. The replacement of commonly applied toxic solvents with innocuous and environmentally benign solvents provides a better option than the more toxic processes in drug analysis.

Sensitive determination of atorvastatin in human plasma by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and solidification of floating organic drop followed by high-performance liquid chromatography

A novel and sensitive dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method based on the solidification of the floating organic drop combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection was used for the determination of atorvastatine in blood serum samples. The chromatographic separation of atorvastatin was carried out using methanol as the mobile phase organic modifier. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized, such as the kind and volume of extraction solvent (1-undecanol) and disperser solvent (acetonitrile), pH, and the extraction time. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.2-6000 μg/L of atorvastatin (r(2) = 0.995) with a limit of detection of 0.07 μg/L. The relative standard deviation for 100 μg/L of atorvastatin in human plasma was 8.4% (n = 4). The recoveries of plasma samples spiked with atorvastatin were in the range of 98.8-113.8%. The obtained results showed that the proposed method is fast, simple, and reliable for the determination of very low concentrations of atorvastatin in human plasma samples.