Peculiarities of Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Some Cardiovascular Drugs under Conditions of Antiorthostatic Hypokinesia.

We studied pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of verapamil, propranolol, and ethacizine in healthy volunteers after single oral administration under normal conditions and on the second day of simulated antiorthostatic hypokinesia modeling some effects of microgravity. Under conditions of antiorthostatic hypokinesia, a tendency to a decrease in half-elimination period, mean retention time, and volume of distribution and an increase in the rate of absorption, ratio of maximum concentrations, and relative rate of absorption of verapamil and propranolol were revealed. For ethacizine, a statistically significant increase in the time of attaining maximum concentration and volume of distribution and a decrease in the maximum concentration, rate of absorption, ratio of maximum concentrations, and relative rate of absorption under conditions of antiorthostatic hypokinesia were found.

Propranolol 0.1% eye micro-drops in newborns with retinopathy of prematurity: a pilot clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Oral propranolol reduces retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) progression, although not safely. This study evaluated safety and efficacy of propranolol eye micro-drops in preterm newborns with ROP. METHODS: A multicenter open-label trial, planned according to the Simon optimal two-stage design, was performed to analyze safety and efficacy of propranolol micro-drops in newborns with stage 2 ROP. To this end, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters were monitored, and blood samples were collected weekly, for 3 wk. Propranolol plasma levels were also monitored. The progression of the disease was evaluated with serial ophthalmologic examinations. RESULTS: Twenty-three newborns were enrolled. Since the fourth of the first 19 newborns enrolled in the first stage of the study showed a progression to stage 2 or 3 with plus, the second stage was prematurely discontinued. Even though the objective to complete the second stage was not achieved, the percentage of ROP progression (26%) was similar to that obtained previously with oral propranolol administration. However, no adverse effects were observed and propranolol plasma levels were significantly lower than those measured after oral administration. CONCLUSION: Propranolol 0.1% eye micro-drops are well tolerated, but not sufficiently effective. Further studies are required to identify the optimal dose and administration schedule.

Analysis of flumequine enantiomers in rat plasma by UFLC-ESI-MS/MS.

In this study the analysis and confirmation of flumequine enantiomers in rat plasma by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with electron spray ionization mass spectrometry (using propranolol as an internal standard [IS]) was developed and validated. Plasma samples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction using methyl tert-butyl ether as the extraction solvent. Direct resolution of the R- and S-isomers was performed on a CHIRALCEL OJ-RH column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 µm) using acetonitrile / 0.1% formic acid / 1 mM ammonium acetate as the mobile phase. Detection was operated by electron spray ionization in the selected ion monitoring and positive ion mode. The target ions at m/z 262.1 and m/z 260.1 were selected for the quantification of the enantiomers and IS, respectively. The linear range was 0.5-500 ng/mL. The precisions (coefficient of variation, CV%) and recoveries were 1.43-8.68 and 94.24-106.76%, respectively. The lowest quantitation limit for both enantiomers is 0.5 ng/mL, which is sensitive enough to be applied to sample analysis in other related studies.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analyses of antihypertensive drugs, nifedipine and propranolol, in spontaneously hypertensive rats to investigate characteristics of effect and side effects.

To investigate the relationship between the pharmacokinetics (PK) and effects and/or side-effects of nifedipine and propranolol, simultaneous examination of their PK and pharmacodynamics (PD), namely blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and QT interval (QT), were assessed in spontaneously hypertensive rats as a disease model. Drugs were infused intravenously for 30 min, then plasma PK and hemodynamic effects were monitored. After general two-compartmental analysis was applied to the plasma data, PD parameters were calculated by fitting the data to PK-PD models. After nifedipine administration, the maximal hypotensive effect appeared about 10 min after starting the infusion, then BP started to elevate although the plasma concentration increased, supposedly because of a negative feedback mechanism generated from the homeostatic mechanism. After propranolol administration, HR decreased by half, and this bradycardic effect was greater than that with nifedipine. Wide variation in QT was observed when the propranolol concentration exceeded 700 ng/mL. This variation may have been caused by arrhythmia. Prolongation of QT with propranolol was greater than that with nifedipine, and bradycardia was slower than the concentration increase and QT prolongation. The characteristically designed PK-PD model incorporating a negative feedback system could be adequately and simultaneously fitted to both observed effect and side-effects.

PROPRANOLOL PHARMACOKINETICS AND HEMODYNAMIC INDICES IN ANTIORTHOSTATIC HYPOKINESIA.

Purpose of the work was to study pharmacokinetics of beta adrenoblocker propranolol, and hemodynamic indices in volunteers for simulation of some effects of microgravity The study involved 8 essentially healthy subjects and the head-down tilt (-80) bedrest model reproducing the effects of microgravity (BD). This was designed as three series of investigations, i.e. before BD, on BD day-2 and on the first day of BD completion. Propranolol concentration in blood plasma was determined using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Hemodynamic indices including heart rate (HR), stroke volume, cardiac output, cardiac index and total peripheric resistance were measured using integral rheography; average blood pressure (BPav) Was assessed by Korotkovs method. Statistical deviations in propranolol pharmacokinetics were found in none of the three series. The most characteristic reactions to propranolol were BPav reductions in all series and HR decreases 2 hours after intake in the first and second series. These deviations were not pathologic but physiological variations typical of healthy people. Therefore, propranolol can be advised for rational pharmacotherapy of acute cardiovascular diseases in piloted space missions.

Direct ionization of solid-phase microextraction fibers for quantitative drug bioanalysis: from peripheral circulation to mass spectrometry detection.

A novel approach is described for the quantitative bioanalysis of drugs in blood samples by ionization of the analytes collected on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers by mass spectrometry (MS). The technique combines the attractive features of SPME microsampling using minimal sample volumes with the speed, selectivity, and sensitivity capabilities of MS detection. The method reported in this study involved generating gas-phase ions directly from SPME fibers without the need for any additional sample preparation or chromatographic separation; the entire process was completed within 5 min. Traditionally, analytes extracted by SPME fibers are desorbed by washing with suitable solvents followed by a transfer into a sample vial and subsequent liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to quantify the amount of analyte extracted and thereby determining the analyte concentration in the matrix. These sample preparation steps are completely eliminated by inserting the SPME fiber directly into the MS. Physiologically relevant concentrations of metoprolol and propranolol in blood samples were measured over several orders of magnitude down to concentration levels of 10 ng/mL. This preliminary assessment of direct SPME-MS showed high sensitivity (ng/mL), acceptable reproducibility (<30%), and lack of carryover. This novel approach simplifies current bioanalytical procedures providing time and cost savings. It demonstrates considerable potential for qualitative and quantitative pharmaceutical bioanalysis as well as other areas of challenging environmental and food analysis.

Regulation of cerebral CYP2D alters tramadol metabolism in the brain: interactions of tramadol with propranolol and nicotine.

1. Cytochrome P450 2D (CYP2D) protein is widely expressed across brain regions in human and rodents. We investigated the interactions between tramadol, a clinically used analgesic, and brain CYP2D regulators, by establishing concentration-time curves of tramadol and O-desmethyltramadol (M1) in rat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma, as well as by analyzing the analgesia-time course of tramadol. 2. Propranolol (20 µg, intracerebroventricular injection), CYP2D inhibitor, prolonged the elimination t1/2 of tramadol (40 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) in the CSF; meanwhile, lower Cmax and AUC0-∞ values of M1 were observed. Nicotine (1 mg base/kg, subcutaneous injection, seven days), brain CYP2D inducer, induced a shorter Tmax and elevated Cmax of M1 in CSF. No differences in the peripheral metabolism of tramadol were observed following propranolol and nicotine pretreatment. Nicotine increased areas under the analgesia-time curve (AUC) for 0-45 min and 0-90 min of tramadol, which was attenuated by propranolol administration. The analgesic actions of tramadol positively correlated with cerebral M1 concentration. 3. The results suggest that the regulation of brain CYP2D by xenobiotics may cause drug-drug interactions (DDIs) of tramadol. Brain CYPs may play an important role in DDIs of centrally active substances.

Electrically assisted liquid-phase microextraction combined with capillary electrophoresis for quantification of propranolol enantiomers in human body fluids.

In this study, electromembrane extraction (EME) combined with cyclodextrin (CD)-modified capillary electrophoresis (CE) was applied for the extraction, separation, and quantification of propranolol (PRO) enantiomers from biological samples. The PRO enantiomers were extracted from aqueous donor solutions, through a supported liquid membrane (SLM) consisting of 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) impregnated on the wall of the hollow fiber, and into a 20-µL acidic aqueous acceptor solution into the lumen of hollow fiber. Important parameters affecting EME efficiency such as extraction voltage, extraction time, pH of the donor and acceptor solutions were optimized using a Box-Behnken design (BBD). Then, under these optimized conditions, the acceptor solution was analyzed using an optimized CD-modified CE. Several types of CD were evaluated and best results were obtained using a fused-silica capillary with ammonium acetate (80 mM, pH 2.5) containing 8 mM hydroxypropyl-ß-CD as a chiral selector, applied voltage of 18 kV, and temperature of 20°C. The relative recoveries were obtained in the range of 78-95%. Finally, the performance of the present method was evaluated for the extraction and determination of PRO enantiomers in real biological samples.

HPLC-fluorescence method for the enantioselective analysis of propranolol in rat serum using immobilized polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase.

A stereoselective high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed and validated to determine S-(-)- and R-(+)-propranolol in rat serum. Enantiomeric resolution was achieved on cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) immobilized onto spherical porous silica chiral stationary phase (CSP) known as Chiralpak IB. A simple analytical method was validated using a mobile phase consisted of n-hexane-ethanol-triethylamine (95:5:0.4%, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.6 mL min(-1) and fluorescence detection set at excitation/emission wavelengths 290/375 nm. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 10-400 ng mL(-1) (R = 0.999) for each enantiomer with a detection limit of 3 ng mL(-1). The proposed method was validated in compliance with ICH guidelines in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, limits of detection and quantitation, and other aspects of analytical validation. Actual quantification could be made for propranolol isomers in serum obtained from rats that had been intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered a single dose of the drug. The proposed method established in this study is simple and sensitive enough to be adopted in the fields of clinical and forensic toxicology. Molecular modeling studies including energy minimization and docking studies were first performed to illustrate the mechanism by which the active enantiomer binds to the ß-adrenergic receptor and second to find a suitable interpretation of how both enantiomers are interacting with cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) CSP during the process of resolution. The latter interaction was demonstrated by calculating the binding affinities and interaction distances between propranolol enantiomers and chiral selector.

Alteration in plasma protein binding properties of propranolol and flurbiprofen during development of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

Adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in the rat is used as a model for rheumatoid arthritis. In AA rats, the pharmacokinetics of various drugs is affected due to the alterations of plasma protein binding of drugs. We choose propranolol (PL) and flurbiprofen (FP) as model basic and acidic drugs, respectively, and investigated the effect of AA induction on their plasma protein binding at each developing stage of inflammation. The plasma protein binding of PL and FP was dramatically changed due to reduced albumin and increased α1-acid glycoprotein levels for at least 21 days after adjuvant treatment. Moreover, we illustrated the differences in protein binding in AA between both the drugs in each developing stage of inflammation. These results suggest that the changed plasma protein levels in AA rats accompanying the altered protein binding of drugs affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs which extensively bind to plasma protein under inflammatory condition.

In vivo and in vitro liver and gill EROD activity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to the beta-blocker propranolol.

The conservation of common physiological systems across vertebrate classes suggests the potential for certain pharmaceuticals, which have been detected in surface waters, to produce biological effects in nontarget vertebrates such as fish. However, previous studies assessing the effects of such compounds in fish have not taken into account the potential for metabolism and elimination. This study aimed to assess if propranolol, a ß-adrenergic receptor antagonist or ß-blocker, could modulate EROD activity (indicative of CYP1A activity) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gills and liver. For this, an in vivo time course exposure with 1 mg/L was conducted. Additionally, using measured in vivo plasma concentrations, an in vitro exposure at human therapeutic levels was undertaken. This allowed comparison of in vitro and in vivo rates of EROD activity, thus investigating the applicability of cell preparations as surrogates for whole animal enzyme activity analysis. In vitro exposure of suspended liver and gill cells at concentrations similar to in vivo levels resulted in EROD activity in both tissues, but with significantly higher rates (up to six times in vivo levels). These results show that propranolol exposure elevated EROD activity in the liver and gill of rainbow trout, and that this is demonstrable both in vivo (albeit nonsignificantly in the liver) and in vitro, thus supporting the use of the latter as a surrogate of the former. These data also provide an insight into the potential role of the gill as a site of metabolism of pharmaceuticals in trout, suggesting that propranolol (and feasibly other pharmaceuticals) may undergo "first pass" metabolism in this organ.

Propranolol and metoprolol: Two comparable drugs with very different post-mortem toxicological profiles.

Propranolol is a widely used beta-blocker mainly prescribed for the treatment of hypertension and other cardiac conditions. This medicine is also a frequent finding in drug screens, but little is known about its post-mortem toxicological profile. Our aim was to examine all post-mortem toxicology cases positive for propranolol in a three-year period, between 2016 and 2018 in Finland, and to compare these cases to those positive for metoprolol, another beta-blocker commonly used to treat cardiac diseases. There were 179 cases positive for propranolol and 416 for metoprolol in the study period. In the majority of propranolol cases (53%), the drug concentration in the blood was above the typical therapeutic range, but among the metoprolol cases this proportion was 18%. Propranolol was significantly more common than metoprolol in fatal poisonings, suicides and in cases with a history of drug abuse. Alcohol, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and antidepressants were significantly more often detected in propranolol cases than in metoprolol cases. The deceased positive for propranolol were significantly younger than those positive for metoprolol. Cardiovascular diseases as the underlying cause of death were significantly more common among the metoprolol cases than among the propranolol cases. Our results showed significant differences between the propranolol group and the metoprolol group in post-mortem toxicology cases. The two drugs were used by two very different groups of people, with propranolol use being associated with psychiatric conditions.

Effects of membrane transport activity and cell metabolism on the unbound drug concentrations in the skeletal muscle and liver of drugs: A microdialysis study in rats.

The unbound concentrations of 14 commercial drugs, including five non-efflux/uptake transporter substrates-Class I, five efflux transporter substrates-class II and four influx transporter substrates-Class III, were simultaneously measured in rat liver, muscle, and blood via microanalysis. Kpuu,liver and Kpuu,muscle were calculated to evaluate the membrane transport activity and cell metabolism on the unbound drug concentrations in the skeletal muscle and liver. For Class I compounds, represented by antipyrine, unbound concentrations among liver, muscle and blood are symmetrically distributed when compound hepatic clearance is low. And when compound hepatic clearance is high, unbound concentrations among liver, muscle and blood are asymmetrically distributed, such as Propranolol. For Class II and III compounds, overall, the unbound concentrations among liver, muscle, and blood are asymmetrically distributed due to a combination of hepatic metabolism and efflux and/or influx transporter activity.

Modification of propranolol's bioavailability by Eurycoma longifolia water-based extract.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND BACKGROUND: Eurycoma longifolia (E. longifolia), a herb commonly consumed for its aphrodisiac properties, is widely used by Asian males. This may include hypertensive patients receiving propranolol which may cause sexual dysfunction as one of its side-effects. There is no published study of the potential pharmacokinetic interaction between propranolol and the herb. OBJECTIVE: To study propranolol's pharmacokinetics when E. longifolia is consumed, comparing volunteers given either propranolol or a placebo. METHODS: This is a placebo-controlled randomized single-blinded crossover study of the effect of a water-based extract of E. longifolia on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of proporanolol (Inderal(®)) in 14 healthy non-smoker young males. Eighty milligram of propranonol was orally administered with (i) placebo (Lactose) or (ii) 200 mg of water-based extract of E. longifolia (0·0272 ± 0·0026%eurycomanone) following an overnight fasting. Blood samples were collected at 0, 0·5, 1, 1·5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h for propranolol's plasma concentration determinations using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: When propranolol was administered with E. longifolia, its bioavailability (AUC0-∞) decreased by 29% while C(max) was reduced by 42% and T(max) was significantly prolonged by almost 86%. The terminal elimination half-life, however, was not significantly affected. CONCLUSION: The bioavailability of propranolol is significantly decreased when consumed together with E. longifolia. The interaction is due to a reduction in absorption, rather than an increase in propranolol's metabolism. Although the pharmacodynamics of propranolol was not affected in healthy volunteers, caution is still advisable with co-administration of the drug and the herb.

Effect of recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST) on drug disposition in swine.

Treatment of pigs with recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST) causes a marked increase in feed utilization with increased weight-gain over untreated controls. Physiological parameters such as creatinine clearance were increased by rpST treatment. Clearance of drugs eliminated by hepatic extraction, like indocyanine green (ICG), were also increased by rpST treatment. However, clearance of intravenous (i.v.)-dosed propranolol (PPL) was not affected by rpST treatment and data from oral (p.o.)-dosing was inconclusive because of the low bioavailability, probably because of a high first-pass effect. The very low oral bioavailability indicates that intestinal metabolism of PPL is probably quite high. Analysis of urinary metabolites indicated production of the two phenolic isomers, but there was no metabolite corresponding to N-dealkylase activity; although the latter metabolite could have been eliminated in the bile with subsequent fecal elimination. PPL was an excellent in vitro substrate for measuring hepatic DME activity in vitro; two phenolic and one N-dealkylated metabolite were formed. The overall conclusions regarding this study must be that the effects of rpST on drug bioavailability and elimination were equivocal. As ICG and creatinine clearances were both increased significantly, one cannot rule out the probability that rpST would increase drug elimination in pigs as a result of increased hepatic uptake and/or renal clearance. One can only speculate that clearance of concurrently administered drugs would be increased. This would reduce residue levels, but it might also reduce efficacy.

Quantitative determination of propranolol by ultraviolet HPLC in human plasma.

Many previous published methods for the quantitative determination of propranolol (PRN) in human plasma have poor recoveries and were not validated according to the FDA guideline. The aim of this study is to develop a simple HPLC method for detecting PRN in human plasma and to validate it so that it can be applied to a clinical study. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a mixture of a mobile phase consisting of 160 ml water, 180 ml methanol, 70 ml acetonitrile, 2.5 ml acetic acid, and 125 microl triethylamine (v/v). The pH of the whole mixture was adjusted to 3.4. A flow rate of 0.5 ml/min was employed throughout with a 15 microl injection volume. Detection was done using a UV detector at 291 nm. The validated method was linear for concentrations ranging from 15-180 ng/ ml with a good separation and specificity for both PRN and its internal standard, oxprenolol (OXP), with excellent recoveries, precision, and accuracies. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 1 and 10 ng/ml, respectively. The stability studies demonstrated that PRN is stable in the autosampler vials and also up to 3.5 months. To the authors' knowledge, the recovery, that ranged between 97.9-102.7%, is the highest among all previously reported methods that used HPLC with UV detection. The developed and validated method for PRN analysis is excellent and applicable to a clinical study.

Applications of shun shell column and nanocomposite sorbent for analysis of eleven anti-hypertensive in human plasma.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and solid phase micro membrane tip extraction (SPMMTE) methods are developed for the simultaneous analysis of eleven cardiovascular drugs in human plasma. Iron nanoparticles were obtained by the green method, characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and EDS and utilized in SPMMTE for sample preparation. The mobile phase used was ammonium acetate buffer-methanol-acetonitrile (65:18:17) with a 1.0 mL/min flow rate at 260 nm detection. Column used was Sunshell C18 150 × 4.6 mm, 2.6 µm. The values of k, α, and Rs were ranged from 040 to109.22, 1.20 to 2.67 and 1.0 to 26.18. SPMMTE and HPLC methods were fast, reproducible, precise, robust, economic and rugged for analysis of methyldopa, hydrochlorothiazide, prazosin hydrochloride, furosemide, labetalol, propranolol, valsartan, losartan potassium, diltiazem, irbesartan and spironolactone in human plasma. The recoveries (%) of methyldopa, hydrochlorothiazide, prazosin hydrochloride, furosemide, labetalol, propranolol, valsartan, losartan potassium, diltiazem, irbesartan, and spironolactone were 91.0, 85.2, 92.3, 90.4, 90.1, 85.6, 86.6, 86.2, 85.1, 86.6, and 85.7, respectively. These results showed that SPMMTE and HPLC methods can be applied to test the described drugs in several matrices.

Intermittent ß-adrenergic blockade downregulates the gene expression of ß-myosin heavy chain in the mouse heart.

Expression of the ß-myosin heavy chain (ß-MHC), a major component of the cardiac contractile apparatus, is tightly regulated as even modest increases can be detrimental to heart under stress. In healthy hearts, continuous inhibition of ß-adrenergic tone upregulates ß-MHC expression. However, it is unknown whether the duration of the ß-adrenergic inhibition and ß-MHC expression are related. Here, we evaluated the effects of intermittent ß-blockade on cardiac ß-MHC expression. To this end, the ß-blocker propranolol, at the dose of 15mg/kg, was administered once a day in mice for 14 days. This dosing schedule caused daily drug-free periods of at least 6 h as evidenced by propranolol plasma concentrations and cardiac ß-adrenergic responsiveness. Under these conditions, ß-MHC expression decreased by about 75% compared to controls. This effect was abolished in mice lacking ß1- but not ß2-adrenergic receptors (ß-AR) indicating that ß-MHC expression is regulated in a ß1-AR-dependent manner. In ß1-AR knockout mice, the baseline ß-MHC expression was fourfold higher than in wild-type mice. Also, we evaluated the impact of intermittent ß-blockade on ß-MHC expression in mice with systolic dysfunction, in which an increased ß-MHC expression occurs. At 3 weeks after myocardial infarction, mice showed systolic dysfunction and upregulation of ß-MHC expression. Intermittent ß-blockade decreased ß-MHC expression while attenuating cardiac dysfunction. In vitro studies showed that propranolol does not affect ß-MHC expression on its own but antagonizes catecholamine effects on ß-MHC expression. In conclusion, a direct relationship occurs between the duration of the ß-adrenergic inhibition and ß-MHC expression through the ß1-AR.

Heart-cut capillary electrophoresis for drug analysis in mouse blood with electrochemical detection.

A novel separation method, which interfaced capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC), was developed for analysis of weak basic compounds. CZE was used as the first separation, from which the effluent components were transferred and further analyzed by MEKC. As the key to successful integration of CZE and MEKC, a new microhole interface was designed. On-line concentration strategies, namely pH junction and sweeping, were employed to avoid sample zone diffusion at the interface. For evaluation of the feasibility and effectiveness of the capillary electrophoresis (CE) system, basic cardiovascular drugs were used as model compounds. The resulting electropherogram was quite different from that of either CZE or MEKC separation. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of peak height, peak area, and migration time were in the ranges of 2.7% to 4.5%, 1.3% to 3.6%, and 0.8% to 1.4%, respectively, and detection limits (signal/noise=3) were 0.015 to 0.052 mg/L. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of basic cardiovascular drugs in mouse blood.

Preparation and evaluation of propranolol molecularly imprinted solid-phase microextraction fiber for trace analysis of beta-blockers in urine and plasma samples.

An improved multiple co-polymerization technique was developed to prepare a novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber with propranolol as template. Investigation was performed for the characteristics and application of the fibers. The MIP coating was highly crosslinked and porous with the average thickness of only 25.0 microm. Consequently, the adsorption and desorption of beta-blockers within the MIP coating could be achieved quickly. The specific selectivity was discovered with the MIP-coated fibers to propranolol and its structural analogues such as atenolol, pindolol, and alprenolol. In contrast, only non-specific adsorption could be shown with the non-imprinted polymer (NIP)-coated fibers, and the extraction efficiencies of propranolol and pindolol with the MIP-coated fibers were higher markedly than that with the commercial SPME fibers. A MIP-coated SPME coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for propranolol and pindolol determination was developed under the optimized extraction conditions. Linear ranges for propranolol and pindolol were 20-1000 microg L(-1) and detection limits were 3.8 and 6.9 microg L(-1), respectively. Propranolol and pindolol in the spiked human urine and plasma samples, extracted with organic solvent firstly, could be simultaneous monitored with satisfactory recoveries through this method.