Drug absorption, metabolism, and excretion. 8. Determination of tolbutamide and its metabolites in blood and urine

Inhibitory effect of nicotine and its metabolites on tolbutamide hydroxylation in rat liver microsomes

A simple HPLC/fluorescence method to detect hydroxytolbutamide (a major metabolite of the anti-diabetic drug tolbutamide) has been developed. The effects of nicotine and some of its metabolites on tolbutamide hydroxylation is described. An extraction procedure with diethyl ether was followed by isocratic HPLC analysis of tolbutamide hydroxylation with a binary mobile phase composed of 10 mM monobasic sodium phosphate in methanol (45:55, v/v, apparent pH 2.28). A detection limit of sub-nanogram amounts (0.353 ng) of hydroxytolbutamide was obtained with fluorescence detection at 226 nm for excitation and 318 nm for emission. Overall precision values for hydroxytolbutamide was determined with coefficients of variation of 1.4-4.6% when nanogram levels of the metabolite were analyzed. Differential inhibitory responses were demonstrated for tolbutamide hydroxylation to nicotine and its metabolites. Tolbutamide hydroxylation was apparently inhibited by cotinine and relatively less inhibited by nicotine. Nornicotine, however, caused very little inhibition of tolbutamide hydroxylation. The implication is that nornicotine may not share similar affinity for the substrate binding site for tolbutamide. The results also suggest that heavy smokers may experience reduction in tolbutamide metabolism. The assay system itself will be useful for future studies of tolbutamide, and possibly related sulfonylureas.

A new aspect of tolbutamide metabolism in the rabbit: the role of 1-butyl-3-(p-formylphenyl)sulphonylurea

We investigated the metabolism of tolbutamide by using synthetic 1-butyl-3-(p-formylphenyl)sulphonylurea (ATB), an intermediate in the metabolic pathway of tolbutamide. ATB (40 mg kg-1) administered intravenously to rabbits was oxidized to 1-butyl-3-(p-carboxyphenyl)sulphonylurea (CTB) and also reduced to 1-butyl-3-(p-hydroxymethylphenyl)sulphonylurea (HMTB). Therefore, it is likely that in the metabolism of tolbutamide, the oxidation of HMTB to ATB involved the reverse reaction, suggesting the reduction of ATB to HMTB. The oxidation of ATB to CTB was inhibited by disulfiram pretreatment. ATB was detected in the blood following intravenous administration of HMTB in rabbits pretreated with disulfiram. These results, confirm that ATB is an intermediate in the oxidative metabolism of tolbutamide in the rabbit.

Determination of tolbutamide hydroxylation in rat liver microsomes by high-performance liquid chromatography: effect of psychoactive drugs on in vitro activity

A simplified HPLC method for tolbutamide metabolism to hydroxytolbutamide has been used to screen sixty psychoactive drugs for their ability to inhibit rat liver microsomal tolbutamide hydroxylation. One-step extraction with diethyl ether was followed by reconstitution and isocratic HPLC analysis with a binary mobile phase (ammonium phosphate:methanol, 45:55, v/v). Nanogram amounts of hydroxytolbutamide formation were estimated with UV detection at 240 nm. Hydroxytolbutamide formation was linear with incubation times of 40-120 min, but specific activity increased with increases in microsomal protein (0.15-1.10 mg). A differential inhibitory response was demonstrated for tolbutamide and debrisoquine hydroxylation to 5 psychoactive drugs, suggesting that tolbutamide hydroxylation is not dependent on P4502D1. Sixty psychoactive drugs, or drug metabolites, (at 33 microM) were then co-incubated with tolbutamide (at 2.5 and 10.2 microM). Tolbutamide hydroxylation was refractory (< 25% inhibition) to twenty-four of the drugs and only mildly inhibited (25-50% inhibition) by twenty-eight. Two compounds, trans-3-methylfentanyl and flurazepam, produced > 50% inhibition that was independent of tolbutamide concentration. Five of the drugs (methadone, chlorpheniramine, meperidine, 6-monoacetylmorphine and methylphenidate), however, caused greater than 50% inhibition in a competitive manner which suggests these drugs may share an affinity for the substrate binding site for tolbutamide.

Simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of tolbutamide and its metabolites in human plasma and urine using photodiode-array detection

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of tolbutamide and its metabolites in human plasma and urine. The compounds examined were extracted with diethyl ether from the acidified biological fluid. Chlorpropamide was used as internal standard, and 235 nm was chosen as the wavelength for diode-array detection. A study of the relationship between the capacity factor and the mobile phase composition and pH showed that acetonitrile-2-propanol-0.1% orthophosphoric acid (17: 17: 66, v/v) was the best eluent on a C8 reversed-phase column. The method is precise, sensitive and suitable for pharmacological investigations.

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay of tolbutamide and carboxytolbutamide in human plasma

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous measurement of tolbutamide and its major metabolite, carboxytolbutamide, in plasma. The assay involves the ether extraction of 1 ml of plasma, using chlorpropamide and an internal standard. The extract is dried, the residue is taken up in acetonitrile, and 5 micro l is injected into a reversed-phase column. The mobile phase consisted of 35% acetonitrile and 65% 0.05 M phosphoric acid buffer (pH 3.9). A fixed-wavelength detector was set at 254 nm. The sensitivity limits for the tolbutamide and carboxytolbutamide assay were 2 and 0.1 microgram/ml, respectively. The ratio of carboxytolbutamide to tolbutamide in plasma obtained from a subject given a 500-mg tolbutamide tablet was 1:20.

Simple, rapid and micro high-pressure liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of tolbutamide and carboxy tolbutamide in plasma

A rapid high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay is described for the quantitative analysis of tolbutamide and its major metabolite, carboxy tolbutamide in plasma. An aliquot (25--100 microliter) of plasma was prepared for chromatography by deproteinization as follows. One volume of plasma and 2.5 volumes of acetonitrile were vortex mixed for a few seconds and then centrifuged for approx. 1 min. A 50-microliter sample of the clear supernatant was injected into the chromatograph. A mu Bondapak C18 reversed-phase column was used with a mobile phase acetonitrile--0.05% phosphoric acid (45:55) at a flow-rate of 1.5 ml/min. The column effluent was monitored by a variable-wavelength UV detector set at 200 nm. Tolbutamide and its metabolite had retention times of 5.75 and 3.25 min, respectively. The procedure yuelds reproducible results with sensitivity adequate for routine clinical monitoring of plasma levels or for single-dose pharmacokinetic studies. A number of commonly used drugs do not interfere with the method. A single plasma sample can be analyzed in approx. 9 or 10 min.

Determination of phenylbutazone, tolbutamide and metabolites in plasma and urine using chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Quantitative analytical procedures for the analysis of phenylbutazone and tolbutamide levels in plasma have been developed which involve the addition of deuterium labeled internal standards to plasma followed by extraction and direct sample insertion into a mass spectrometer operating under chemical ionization conditions. Peak height ratios used to calculate plasma levels were determined by using either selected ion monitoring or repetitive scan data. The scan approach was used in a related procedure for the simultaneous determination of tolbutamide and two metabolites from urine. The accuracy, precision and sensitivity of the direct sample insertion approach to drug level measurement has been determined. Examples are given of data obtained in the course of pharmacokinetic studies in which this analytical approach appears to offer advantages in the analysis of multicomponent mixtures encountered in drug-drug interaction studies.