Quantification methods of folpet degradation products in plasma with HPLC-UV/DAD: application to an in vivo toxicokinetic study in rats.

Solid-phase extractions followed by HPLC-UV/DAD methods were developed for occupational biological monitoring or forensic investigations of the fungicide folpet using its degradation products, phthalimide and phthalamic acid as plasma biomarkers. These methods show good linearity (r>0.9955), precision (CV<15%) and accuracy (bias<14.8%). The lower limits of quantification for phthalimide and phthalamic acid were 10 and 20 ng/ml and the absolute recoveries were higher than 86% and 68%, respectively. Applying these methods, a plasma toxicokinetic study of folpet in rats after intratracheal administration of Folpan 80WG showed that inhalation of folpet could be a route of exposure with an important systemic absorption.

Fully automated analytical method for mycophenolic acid quantification in human plasma using on-line solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection.

We have developed a new fully automated method for mycophenolic (MPA) acid quantification in plasma to optimize therapeutic drug monitoring of tranplant patients. This method involved solid-phase extraction on disposable extraction cartridges and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Solid-phase extraction was performed automatically by an automated sample with extraction catridges system. After washing, MPA was eluted from the cartridge onto a Chromolith RP-18e column. MPA and the internal standard were detected at 306 nm. The retention time of MPA was 6.3 minutes. The developed method was linear from 0.2 to 20 microg/mL. The limit of quantification was 0.2 microg/mL. The method showed a good precision with intraday and interday variation coefficient less than 6%. The intraday accuracy ranged from 97.6% to 100.4% and the interday accuracy varied from 97.1% to 100.8%. The extraction efficiency was greater than 90%. This method is simple and shows a good specificity with respect to commonly co-prescripted drugs.

[Antidepressant adverse effects in the elderly: analysis of spontaneous reports in France]. / Effets indésirables des antidépresseurs chez le sujet âgé: analyse des notifications en France.

The prescription of antidepressants in the elderly has changed since the marketing of new antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). We analysed the adverse effects associated with antidepressants in subjects aged > or =75 years reported to the pharmacovigilance centres in France. Among the 2381 cases recorded between 1985 and 2001, the distribution of adverse effects may reflect sales figures: 1040 for SSRIs (44%), 586 for tricyclic and related antidepressants (25%), 46 for monoamine oxidase inhibitors (2%) and 654 for other antidepressants (27%). Adverse effect patterns differed according to antidepressant class. For SSRIs, hyponatraemia was predominant (30%), followed by psychiatric (13%) and nervous system (10%) effects. For tricyclic antidepressants, psychiatric effects (confusion, agitation) [21%] were the most frequent followed by cardiovascular effects (15%). However, the consequences of adverse effects such as hyponatraemia are far from negligible in the elderly.