Kelp as a biomonitor of persistent organic pollutants in coastal areas of China: Contamination levels and human health risk.

Kelp, the brown alga distributed in coastal areas all over the world, is also an important medicine food homology product in China. However, the levels and profiles of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in kelp have not been thoroughly investigated to date. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and emerging bromine flame retardants (eBFRs) were evaluated in 41 kelp samples from the main kelp producing areas in China. The concentrations of total PCBs, PBDEs and eBFRs were in the range of 0.321-4.24 ng/g dry weight (dw), 0.255-25.5 ng/g dw and 3.00 × 10-3-47.2 ng/g dw in kelp, respectively. The pollutant pattern was dominated by decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE, 13.0 ± 11.7 ng/g dw) followed in decreasing order by BDE-209 (2.74 ± 4.09 ng/g dw), CB-11 (1.32 ± 1.06 ng/g dw). The tested results showed that kelp could reflect the pollution status of PCBs, PBDEs and eBFRs, indicating the suitability of kelp as a biomonitor of these harmful substances. Finally, the data obtained was used to evaluate human non-cancer and cancer risks of PCBs and PBDEs via kelp consumption for Chinese. Though the calculated risk indices were considered acceptable according to the international standards even in the worst scenarios, the POPs levels in kelp should be monitored continuously as a good environmental indicator.

Application of the metal ions as potential population biomarkers for wastewater-based epidemiology: estimating tobacco consumption in Southern China.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an objective approach for the estimation of population-level exposure to a wide range of substances, in which the use of a population biomarker (PB) could significantly reduce back-calculation errors. Although some endogenous or exogenous compounds such as cotinine and other hormones have been developed as PBs, more PBs still need to be identified and evaluated. This study aimed to propose a novel method to estimate population parameters from the mass load of metal ion biomarkers in wastewater, and estimate the consumption of tobacco in 24 cities in Southern China using the developed method. Daily wastewater samples were collected from 234 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in 24 cities in Southern China. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was applied to determine the concentrations of common health-related metal ions in wastewater, including sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn), and compared them with the daily mass load of cotinine corresponding to catchment populations. The concentrations of cotinine in wastewater samples were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. There were clear and strong correlations between the target metal ion equivalent population and census data. The correlation coefficients (R) were RK = 0.78, RNa = 0.66, RCa = 0.81, RMg = 0.77, and RFe = 0.69, at p < 0.01 and R2 > 0.6. Subsequently, the combination of WBE and metal ion PBs was used to estimate tobacco consumption. Daily consumption of nicotine was estimated to be approximately 1.76 ± 1.19 mg/d/capita, equivalent to an average of 13.0 ± 8.75 cigarettes/d being consumed by smokers. The data on tobacco consumption in this study were consistent with those in traditional surveys in Southern China. The metal ion potassium is an appropriate PB for reflecting the real-time population and could be used to evaluate the tobacco consumption in WBE study.

Gemcitabine enhances pharmacokinetic exposure of the major components of Danggui Buxue Decoction in rat via the promotion of intestinal permeability and down-regulation of CYP3A for combination treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

CONTEXT: Danggui Buxue Decoction (DBD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has the potential to enhance the antitumor effect of gemcitabine in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment by increasing gemcitabine's active metabolites. However, whether gemcitabine affects the pharmacokinetics of DBD's major components remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the herb-drug interaction between DBD's major components and gemcitabine and validates the underlying pharmacokinetic mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pharmacokinetics of 3.6 g/kg DBD with and without a single-dose administration of 50 mg/kg gemcitabine was investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. The effects of gemcitabine on intestinal permeability, hepatic microsomal enzymes in rat tissues, and CYP3A overexpressing HepG2 cells were determined using western blot analysis. RESULTS: The combination of gemcitabine significantly altered the pharmacokinetic profiles of DBD's major components in rats. The Cmax and AUC of calycosin-7-O-ß-d-glucoside notably increased through sodium-glucose transporter 1 (SGLT-1) expression promotion. The AUC of ligustilide and ferulic acid was also significantly elevated with the elimination half-life (t1/2) prolonged by 2.4-fold and 7.8-fold, respectively, by down-regulating hepatic CYP3A, tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin expression. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Gemcitabine could modulate the pharmacokinetics of DBD's major components by increasing intestinal permeability, enhancing transporter expression, and down-regulating CYP3A. These findings provide critical information for clinical research on DBD as an adjuvant for NSCLC with gemcitabine and help make potential dosage adjustments more scientifically and rationally.

Impurity profiling of alfentanil hydrochloride by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometric techniques for drug enforcement.

RATIONALE: Fentanyl and its analogues play important roles in the hospital and clinic setting as anesthetics. However, illicitly manufactured fentanyl as well as the new psychoactive substances (NPS) account for 30% of all deaths in the United States. Since fentanyl derivatives and NPS are designed to produce similar effects, their related substances are similar or even have the same active groups. A comprehensive analysis of the related substances of alfentanil hydrochloride can provide a basis for the identification and supervision of fentanyl derivatives and NPS. METHODS: A liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC/QTOF-MS/MS) method was developed for the separation and characterization of related substances in alfentanil hydrochloride. Degradation studies were conducted according to the ICH-prescribed stress conditions. The compounds were identified mainly through positive electrospray ionization QTOF high-resolution mass spectrometric measurements of the accurate masses of the precursor and product ions and their calculated elemental compositions. Their formation mechanisms were also discussed. RESULTS: Seventeen related substances were detected in alfentanil hydrochloride and its stressed samples. Among them, nine were process-related substances and the other eight were degradation products. The stress study results demonstrated that alfentanil hydrochloride was unstable under acid, alkaline, and oxidative stress conditions, while relatively stable under dry photolytic and thermal stress conditions. Alfentanil hydrochloride was most susceptible for degradation at the N-phenylpropanamide and piperidine sites. CONCLUSIONS: Process-related alfentanil hydrochloride compounds are useful for determination of synthetic routes and entangling of fentanyl analogues. The stress study results can provide a sound scientific basis for the waste water monitoring of alfentanil. These results are important for routine quality control in the manufacturing and storage of alfentanil hydrochloride, as well as for drug enforcement of fentanyl and its analogues.

Preparation, evaluation and pharmacokinetics of diosmin herbosome in beagle dogs.

Diosmin is one of the most widely used phlebotonic drugs, but its poor bioavailability has restricted its usage. The aim of this study was to formulate a complex Diosmin with phospholipids (75% in PC, in 1:2 molar ratios) and to evaluate for solubility, drug content, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and in vitro dissolution study. Further to test the bioavailability of both the complex and Alvenor⌖ in beagle dogs and compare pharmacokinetic parameters. Diosmin herbosome was found to be more soluble than both pure diosmin and Alvenor⌖. The complex contained 71.94% drug content. DSC thermograms and XRD also proved the claim of the complexation. The dissolution profile of diosmin herbosome and Alvenor⌖ in water-ethanol medium showed an increase of the dissolution for diosmin herbosome. Comparison of plasma concentration and main pharmacokinetic parameters of diosmin herbosome treated and Alvenor⌖ treated dogs showed a higher Cmax for the complex with longer elimination half-life. The complexation of diosmin with phospholipids can be potentially used in enhancing the absorption and solubility, consequently increasing the bioavailability of the drug.

Separation and identification of process-related substances and degradation products in mycophenolate mofetil by liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry.

Mycophenolate mofetil is an antiproliferative immunosuppressive agent. Since its clinical efficacy and safety highly depend on the quality, the stability, and impurity profiles of mycophenolate mofetil are paid ever-increasing attention. However, there are few published studies reporting the complete characterization of both the process-related substances and degradation products in mycophenolate mofetil. In the present study, a highly specific and efficient liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry method was developed for the separation and identification of all the potential impurities in mycophenolate mofetil. According to the ICH Q1A (R2) guideline, the forced degradation studies were conducted to elucidate the stability and degradation pathways of mycophenolate mofetil. A total of 15 related substances, including the process-related substances and stress degradation products were characterized by the established hyphenated method, 11 of them have not been reported before. In view of the synthetic route and degradation pathways of mycophenolate mofetil, the origins and formation mechanisms of these related substances were discussed. Based on the obtained stability and impurity profiles, key points of the manufacturing process were proposed to deliver mycophenolate mofetil with high purity.

[Pharmacokinetics of mercury after oral administration of cinnabaris and Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule in rats].

Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule was a classical compound prescription with the efficacy of heat-clearing, detoxification, sedation and anti-inflammation, with cinnabaris as one of its active ingredients. The study focuses on the pharmacokinetics of mercury in rats after oral administration of cinnabaris and Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule, in order to explore the effect of combined traditional Chinese medicines on mercury metabolism. In this study, the method of nitric-perchloric acid digestion system coupled with cold atomic-atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CV-AFS) was adopted to accurately determine mercury in whole blood of rats. Fufang Niuhueng Xiaoyan capsule had three dose schemes of oral administration, namely equivalent clinical dose, 3 times of equivalent clinical dose and 10 times of equivalent clinical dose; And the doses of oral administration of cinnabaris was calculated according to that of Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule. SPF grade healthy SD rats were fasted overnight before the oral administration with cinnabaris suspension (or Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule suspension). After oral administration of different doses of cinnabaris, no obvious changes in tmax and MRT were observed, while Cmax/dose, AUC0-48 h/dose and AUC0-∞/dose decreased with the increase in dose, indicating that total mercury absorption in body was declining. As the dose increased, Ke, CL/F decreased, and t1/2 increased, indicating that the elimination slowed down, and mercury metabolism showed non-linear dynamic characteristics within a certain range of dose (22-220 mg•kg⁻¹). The total mercury metabolism in the whole blood of rats after oral administration with different doses of Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule also showed non-linear dynamic characteristics. The results were correlated with the low solubility of cinnabaris in the body. Compared with cinnabaris, Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule showed no obvious changes in V/F and MRT, while Ke, CL/F, tmax decreased, and t1/2, Cmax/dose, AUC0-48 h/dose, AUC0-∞/dose increased significantly. The results showed that Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule accelerated absorption, slowed down elimination and improved the total absorption of mercury in the whole blood, indicating that Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule may contain components for promoting absorption and alleviating elimination of mercury. Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule had an impact on the pharmacokinetics of cinnabaris, and long-term administration of cinnabaris (Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule) was possible to cause accumulation of mercury in the body. This study could explain changes in efficacy of Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule, evaluate the rationality of compound medicines containing toxic elements and provide scientific basis for the rational and safe use of Fufang Niuhuang Xiaoyan capsule.

Application of liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method to a urinary excretion study of subutinib and active metabolite in human urine.

A novel and selective liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric method (LC-MS/MS) has been established and validated for simultaneous determination of subutinib and active metabolite in human urine. Urine samples were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and separated on a Wondasil C18 (150 × 2.1 mm, 3.5 µm), with methanol-0.2% formic acid solution (73:27, v/v) as mobile phase at flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The linear range was 0.5000-200.0 ng/mL for subutinib and active metabolite, with a lower limit of quantitation of 0.5000 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-run precisions were all <11.8 and 14.3%, and the accuracies were all <4.5 and 5.4%, with the extraction recoveries 88.8-97.5 and 93.8-99.4% for the two analytes, respectively. The carryover values were all <15% for the two anayltes. The method was successfully applied to study urinary excretion of subutinib and active metabolite in human after oral administration of subutinib maleate capsules in fed and fasting states.

[Arsenic speciation in rat plasma after oral administration of realgar and Niu Huang Jie Du Pian].

The arsenic species in rat plasma were studied after oral administration of realgar and Niu Huang Jie Du Pian (NHJDP) and the possible compatible effects of realgar was evaluated by comparing the pharmacokinetics of arsenic species after administration of realgar and NHJDP. The separation of the arsenicals was performed by a high performance liquid chromatography-hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS) technique. Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) was found to be the main species in rats' plasma after dosing. No traces of arsenite [As(Ⅲ)], monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) or arsenate [As(Ⅴ)] were detected at any sampling time points. Compared with realgar administration alone, dose-normalized peak concentration(C(max)) and AUC(0-t) of DMA were significantly decreased by NHJDP administration, while the t(max) was significantly delayed with the clearance and apparent volume of distribution significantly increased, indicating that the pharmacokinetics of As from realgar was affected by other ingredients in the compound prescription of NHJDP.

Discovery, stereospecific characterization and peripheral modification of 1-(pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)-2-[(6-chloro-3-oxo-indan)-formyl]-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines as novel selective κ opioid receptor agonists.

A novel series of 1-(pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)-2-[(3-oxo-indan)-formyl]-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives maj-3a-maj-3u were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their binding affinity at κ-opioid receptors. Maj-3c displayed the highest affinity for κ-opioid receptors (Ki = 0.033 nM) among all the compounds evaluated. Furthermore, all four stereoisomers of compound 3c were prepared, and (1S,18S)-3c was identified as the most potent (Ki = 0.0059 nM) κ-opioid receptor agonist among the four stereoisomers. Maj-3c produced significant antinociception (ED50 = 0.000406 mg kg(-1)) compared to U-50,488H and original BRL 52580 in the acetic acid writhing assay, but its strong sedative effect (ED50 = 0.000568 mg kg(-1)) observed in the mouse rotation test reduced its druggability. To minimize the central nervous system side effects, a series of hydroxyl-containing analogs of maj-3c were synthesized, and maj-11a was found to be a potent κ-opioid receptor agonist (Ki = 35.13 nM). More importantly, the dose for the sedative effect (ED50 = 9.29 mg kg(-1)) of maj-11a was significantly higher than its analgesic dose (ED50 = 0.392 mg kg(-1)), which made it a promising peripheral analgesic candidate compound with weak sedative side effects.

Rapid and sensitive analysis of multiple bioactive constituents in tripterygium glycosides tablets using liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A simultaneous determination method based on liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for the analysis of 11 bioactive constituents in tripterygium glycosides tablets, an immune and inflammatory prescription used in China. The analysis was fully optimized on a 1.8 µm particle size C18 column with linear gradient elution, permitting good separation of the 11 analytes and two internal standards in 21 min. The quantitation of each target constituent was carried out using the narrow window extracted ion chromatograms with a ±l0 ppm extraction window, yielding good linearity (r(2) > 0.996) with a linear range of 10-1000 ng/mL. The limits of quantitation were low ranging from 0.25 to 5.02 ng/mL for the 11 analytes, and the precisions and repeatability were better than 1.6 and 5.3%, respectively. The acceptable recoveries obtained were in the range of 93.4-107.4%. This proposed method was successfully applied to quantify the 11 bioactive constituents in commercial samples produced by nine pharmaceutical manufacturers to profile the quality of these preparations. The overall results demonstrate that the contents of the 11 bioactive constituents in different samples were in great diversity, therefore, the quality, clinical safety, and efficacy of this drug needs further research and evaluation.

Application of a sensitive and specific LC-MS/MS method for determination of wilforine from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. in rat plasma for a bioavailability study.

A highly selective and specific LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of wilforine in rat plasma. The analyte was separated from plasma matrix by using methyl tertiary butyl ether liquid-liquid extraction with bulleyacinitine A as internal standard (IS). The analysis was carried out on a Sepax GP-Phenyl column using a mixture of methanol and 10 mmol/L ammonium formate buffer solution containing 0.1% formic acid (75:25, v/v) as the mobile phase pumped at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection was operated using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in multiple selected reaction monitoring with the parent-to-product quantifier transitions [M + H](+) m/z 867.6 →206.0 for wilforine and 664.1 →584.1 for IS. The main advantage of this method was the high sensitivity (a lower limit of quantification of 0.02 ng/mL) and the small amount of sample (0.1 mL plasma per sample). The method was fully validated to be accurate and precise with a linear range of 0.02-100 ng/mL, and successfully applied to a bioavailability study of wilforine in rats after intravenous and oral administration. The oral absolute bioavailability of wilforine in rats was estimated to be 84%.

[Identification of related substances in nicergoline by HPLC-MS].

To study the related substances in nicergoline, electrospray positive ionization high resolution TOF/MS was used for the determination of the accurate mass and elemental composition of the related substances. Triple quadrupoles tandem MS/MS was employed for the determination of the fragmentations of the parent ions. 16 related substances were detected and identified to be eight synthetic by-products and eight degradation products, by using impurity references matching, product mass spectra fragmentations elucidation, and verified further according to synthetic processes and stress testing results. The results obtained are valuable for nicergoline manufacturing process control and quality assurance.

Identification and characterization of the process-related impurities in fasudil hydrochloride by hyphenated techniques using a quality by design approach.

Following the underlying principles of quality by design mentioned in the ICH Q8 guidance, systematic approaches for the control of process-related impurities have been taken in the manufacturing process of fasudil hydrochloride, a potent Rho-kinase inhibitor and vasodilator. Three related impurities were found in fasudil hydrochloride lab samples by a newly developed RP-HPLC with volatile mobile phase gradient elution and UV detection method. The elemental compositions of the impurities were determined by positive ESI high-resolution TOF-MS analysis of their [M + H](+) ions and their structures were identified through the elucidation of the product mass spectra obtained by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The key impurity was further verified through synthesis and organic spectroscopy including NMR and IR spectroscopy. The origins of these impurities were located and the effective approaches to eliminate them were proposed based on the redesign of the synthetic conditions. The results obtained are important for quality control in the manufacture of fasudil hydrochloride bulk drug substance and injection.

[Identification of the related substances in fasudil hydrochloride with hyphenated techniques].

The study aims to identify the related substances in fasudil hydrochloride by hyphenated techniques. A WondaSil C18 (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) column was used for the separation of the related substances with a mixture of methanol and ammonium acetate buffer solution as the mobile phase by gradient elution. The structures of the related substances were speculated by electrospray positive ionization LC-TOF/MS accurate ion mass and MS/MS determination and elucidation, and verified further through synthesis and spectroscopic analysis. Fasudil hydrochloride and the related substances were separated under the established HPLC condition. Three related substances in fasudil hydrochloride were characterized by hyphenated techniques. The hyphenated LC-MS method is useful for the identification of related substances in fasudil hydrochloride and the results obtained are valuable for its manufacturing process and quality control.

Identification of degradation products in flumazenil using LC-Q-TOF/MS and NMR: Degradation pathway elucidation.

Flumazenil is an imidazobenzodiazepine derivative that antagonizes the actions of benzodiazepines. The degradation pathway elucidation plays an important role in the drug quality control. In this work, a reliable LC-Q-TOF/MS method was developed to separate and identify the degradation products of flumazenil generated in the stress testing conducted according to the ICH Q1A(R2) guideline. Fifteen degradation products were detected in total including three reported impurities and twelve unknown impurities. Based on the chromatographic and mass spectrometric data acquired, the structures of all the degradation products were identified. Besides, two major degradants were synthetized and further confirmed by NMR. The degradation pathways of flumazenil were elucidated, and the degradation characteristics of benzodiazepines were also discussed. The obtained results are of both great importance for the quality control of flumazenil and good reference for the degradation study of other benzodiazepines.

Differences in Multicomponent Pharmacokinetics, Tissue Distribution, and Excretion of Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets in Normal and Adriamycin-Induced Nephrotic Syndrome Rat Models and Correlations With Efficacy and Hepatotoxicity.

Tripterygium glycosides tablets (TGT) are widely used for treating nephrotic syndrome (NS), but hepatotoxicity is frequently reported. The presence of underlying disease(s) can alter the disposition of drugs and affect their efficacy and toxicity. However, no studies have reported the impact of NS on the ADME profiles of TGT or its subsequent impact on the efficacy and toxicity. Thus, the efficacy and hepatotoxicity of TGT were evaluated in normal and NS rats after oral administration of TGT (10 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. The corresponding ADME profiles of the six key TGT components (triptolide (TPL), wilforlide A (WA), wilforgine (WFG), wilfortrine (WFT), wilfordine (WFD), and wilforine (WFR)) were also measured and compared in normal and NS rats after a single oral gavage of 10 mg/kg TGT. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) of the severity of NS and the in vivo exposure of the six key TGT components was performed to screen the anti-NS and hepatotoxic material bases of TGT. Finally, the efficacy and hepatotoxicity of the target compounds were evaluated in vitro. The results showed that TGT decreased the NS symptoms in rats, but caused worse hepatotoxicity under the NS state. Significant differences in the ADME profiles of the six key TGT components between the normal and NS rats were as follows: higher plasma and tissue exposure, lower urinary and biliary excretion, and higher fecal excretion for NS rats. Based on CCA and in vitro verification, TPL, WA, WFG, WFT, WFD, and WFR were identified as the anti-NS material bases of TGT, whereas TPL, WFG, WFT, and WFD were recognized as the hepatotoxic material bases. In conclusion, NS significantly altered the ADME profiles of the six key TGT components detected in rats, which were related to the anti-NS and hepatotoxic effects of TGT. These results are useful for the rational clinical applications of TGT.

Pharmacokinetic differences between the epimers of cefotetan disodium after single intravenous injection in healthy Chinese volunteers.

The pharmacokinetic behaviors of the epimers of cefotetan disodium (R-CTT, S-CTT) after a single intravenous injection dose in healthy Chinese volunteers were explored in this study. In an open-label, randomized, three-way, cross-over study, 12 volunteers (6 females and 6 males) received a cross-over fashion doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g of cefotetan disodium, separated by washout periods of 7 days. The plasma concentrations of both epimers were measured by validated high-performance liquid chromatography assays. Pharmacokinetic parameters of R-CTT, S-CTT, and total-CTT (R + S mixture) were calculated using a noncompartmental analysis. Generally, the R and S epimers showed different pharmacokinetic behaviors. Following 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g doses of cefotetan disodium, values of the total area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0-∞)) were 124.23 ± 19.54, 231.34 ± 39.34, and 459.09 ± 80.65 for R-CTT; 100.95 ± 14.19, 193.80 ± 30.42, and 372.66 ± 67.32 for S-CTT, respectively. Total body clearance values were 4.13, 4.43, and 4.46 L/h for R-CTT and 5.05, 5.28, and 5.50 L/h for S-CTT, respectively. Mean plasma elimination half-life (t (1/2)) values of R-CTT were 4.16, 4.13, and 4.01 h for 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g doses, respectively, and those of S-CTT were 3.15, 3.25, and 3.21 h. There were significant differences in t (1/2) between the two epimers (P < 0.05). The t (1/2) of R-CTT was 28% longer than that of S-CTT, which indicated that the elimination of the S-CTT was greater than that of the R-CTT. All treatments were well tolerated.

Simultaneous determination of tazarotene, clindamycin phosphate and their active metabolites in Bama mini-pig skin by LC-MS/MS: Application to the development of a tazarotene/clindamycin phosphate cream.

Topical tazarotene combined with clindamycin phosphate can significantly improve the adherence and outcomes for the treatment of acne vulgaris than monotherapy, a novel tazarotene (0.05%)/clindamycin phosphate (1.2%) cream is thus developed. However, the pharmacokinetics and potential interaction of tazarotene and clindamycin phosphate in skin when formulated together remain unknown, which should be investigated to assess this novel cream. In the present work, a sensitive and rapid LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of tazarotene, clindamycin phosphate and their active metabolites tazarotenic acid, clindamycin in Bama mini-pig skin was developed and reported for the first time. After pretreatment of the skin samples, the analytes were well separated on a Hypersil BDS C8 column (4.6 × 100 mm, 2.4 µm) using 0.2% (v/v) formic acid-0.1% (w/v) ammonium acetate water solution and acetonitrile as mobile phase in linear gradient elution. Quantification of tazarotene, clindamycin phosphate and their active metabolites tazarotenic acid, clindamycin was conducted under positive electrospray ionization mode using multiple reactions monitoring detection. The LC-MS/MS method was fully validated and then applied to the dermal pharmacokinetic study of the tazarotene/clindamycin phosphate cream. According to the obtained results, tazarotene and clindamycin phosphate did not have any drug-drug interaction when they were formulated together in the cream for topical application. Their absorption and metabolism features in the skin were also characterized, which can support the clinical medication regimen of tazarotene/clindamycin phosphate cream.

Identification and monitoring of fentanyls-related substances in east China sewage water samples by LC-MS for drug enforcement.

Fentanyls abuse is a persistent international concern. New fentanyl derivatives are constantly appearing, circumventing national and international laws. In this study, laboratory degradation experiment with different conditions such as pH, light, temperature and oxygen availability were compared to improve the understanding of the fentanyls degradation pathways. Twelve major degradants of sufentanil and alfentanil were detected and identified together using UHPLC-QTOF-MS. A total of thirty nine fentanyls including twelve typical fentanyl new psychoactive substances, eighteen manufacturing process-related substances and nine key degradants of sufentanil and alfentanil were screened in 120 sewage water samples collected from 20 sewage water treatment plants chosen among 6 urban cities in east China from July to August in 2020 using a validated UHPLC-MS/MS method. Three fentanyls (fentanyl, sufentanil, alfentanil), seven degradants and six manufacturing process-related substances were found in the test samples. The study could provide a useful tool for the monitoring of the abuses, illegal manufacturing or pharmaceuticals related pollutions of fentanyls and their analogs.