Gas chromatographic determination of isosorbide dinitrate in human plasma and urine

Simultaneous determination of isosorbide dinitrate and its mononitrate metabolites in human plasma by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

A method for the simultaneous determination of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) and its mononitrate metabolites (2- and 5-ISMN) in human plasma by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection was developed. Two internal standards were used: isomannide dinitrate (IMDN) for the determination of ISDN and isomannide mononitrate (IMMN) for the determinations of 2- and 5-ISMN. After addition of the internal standards, the compounds were isolated from plasma by solid-liquid extraction. They were determined by gas chromatography using an electron-capture detector. The reproducibility and accuracy of the method were found suitable in the range of concentrations 2.5-83 ng/ml for ISDN, 2.6-208 ng/ml for 2-ISMN and 2.3-1010 ng/ml for 5-ISMN. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was about 2.5 ng/ml for each compound. The method was applied to clinical samples.

A new approach for dealing with the stability of drugs in biological fluids

The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for investigating the stability of drugs in biological fluids based on sound experimental design and to use a statistical procedure which would allow conclusions to be made concerning stability with an acceptable degree of certainty (95%). The experimental procedure involved replicate analysis of the drug in stored and freshly prepared samples on the same day. The relative difference in response between these two sets of samples and a 90% confidence interval for the true change in response was calculated. This confidence interval enabled us to detect a pharmacokinetically relevant degradation. It is argued that this approach is superior to the stability test procedures based on the t test. The application of the method to the assessment of the stability of three different drugs in biological fluids is described.

Drug level monitoring: cardiovascular drugs

Methods for the determination of cardiovascular drugs in blood and plasma are critically reviewed with emphasis on gas and liquid chromatographic techniques. The importance of the various procedures is discussed, in particular sample work-up where the conditions for isolation and derivatization of the compounds are decisive for the accuracy and precision of the methods. Compared with other assay techniques chromatographic methods are generally to be preferred owing to their better selectivity. In the review the following groups are discussed: digitalis glycosides, antiarrhythmic agents, beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, vasodilating agents, antihypertensive compounds, and diuretics.

Determination of isosorbide dinitrate and its mononitrate metabolites in human plasma using Extrelut purification and capillary column gas-liquid chromatography

A rapid, accurate and sensitive method for the determination of isosorbide dinitrate (internal standard: isomannide dinitrate) and its 2- and 5-mononitrate metabolites (internal standard: isoidide mononitrate) in 1.0 ml of human plasma has been developed. Before chromatographic quantitation by gas-liquid chromatography with electron-capture detection, isosorbide nitrates were purified by Extrelut chromatography (recovery about 90%), eliminating most of the endogenous interferences. Routine limit of quantitation and reproducibility were 0.5, 2.0 and 10.0 ng/ml and 6, 8 and 7% for isosorbide dinitrate and the 2- and 5-mononitrates, respectively. This method allowed the behaviour of this vasodilating drug and its metabolites to be studied in humans.

Determination of the two mononitrate metabolites of isosorbide dinitrate in human plasma and urine by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

This paper describes a sensitive method for the determination of 2-isosorbide mononitrate and 5-isosorbide mononitrate as metabolites of isosorbide dinitrate at concentrations down to 2 ng/ml of 2-isosorbide mononitrate in both plasma and urine, and 5 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml of 5-isosorbide mononitrate in plasma and urine, respectively. The two mononitrate metabolites are extracted at basic pH into ethyl acetate, which is then evaporated to dryness. The residue is dissolved in a basic aqueous solution, which is washed with heptane and then re-extracted into ethyl acetate. The metabolites are quantitated by gas chromatography, using a 63Ni electron-capture detector. Conjugates of 2- and 5-isosorbide mononitrate are determined in urine after enzymatic hydrolysis.

Determination of isosorbide as a metabolite of isosorbide dinitrate in human urine by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

A method for the determination of isosorbide as a metabolite of isosorbide dinitrate at concentrations down to 200 ng/ml in human urine is described. After addition of a known amount of isomannide as internal standard to 50 microliter of urine, both compounds are extracted at basic pH into chloroform-isopropanol (4:1, v/v), which is then evaporated to dryness. They are then derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride, and isosorbide is quantitated by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. A conjugate of isosorbide is determined in urine after enzymatic hydrolysis.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of organic nitrates

Plasma concentrations of glyceryl trinitrate (nitroglycerin), isosorbide dinitrate and isosorbide 2- and 5-mononitrates in man have been measured after administration via different routes. Appropriate precautions have to be taken in the administration of these agents (to avoid loss during intravenous infusion), and in their sampling and assay. Pharmacokinetic calculations based on plasma concentrations should be viewed with caution, as the data on which these calculations are based are often very limited, and the very rapid disappearance of for example glyceryl trinitrate from plasma makes the choice of an appropriate kinetic model and exact calculations difficult. Glyceryl trinitrate disappears from plasma within a few minutes, and a high apparent volume of distribution and a very high systemic clearance are found. After oral administration, plasma concentrations are very low; with sublingual or cutaneous administration, higher plasma concentrations can be obtained, suggesting a high first-pass extraction after oral administration, but quantitative data on bioavailability are lacking. For isosorbide dinitrate the systemic clearance, although high, is lower than for glyceryl trinitrate; disappearance from the plasma is slower and plasma concentrations after different routes of administration are much higher. Here too, quantitative data on bioavailability are lacking. High plasma concentrations of isosorbide 2-mononitrate and isosorbide 5-mononitrate are found in plasma after administration of isosorbide dinitrate. These metabolites have a good bioavailability, and half-lives of around 2.5 hours for isosorbide 2-mononitrate and 5 hours for isosorbide 5-mononitrate. Only very limited data are available about the influence of disease states and interactions with food and other drugs on the kinetics of the organic nitrates. It is very difficult to correlate the effects of the nitrates to their plasma concentrations; counter-regulation, development of tolerance, and the presence of metabolites could disturb the interpretation of such a relationship. It is at present impossible to predict the pharmacological effects or the efficacy of organic nitrates on the basis of their plasma concentrations.