Development and validation of a bioanalytical method for five antidepressants in human milk by LC-MS.

The use of medications during lactation is a common practice; however, pharmacological treatments impose serious doubts to both professionals and nursing mothers regarding the safety of drugs used during this period. Most of drugs are excreted in breast milk and there is great variability in the amount of analytes that can be received by the infant. Dilemmas about breastfeeding arise most commonly in relation to postpartum depression. Depression is a major clinical problem during the postpartum period and the vulnerability to onset or recurrence of depressive symptoms increases the possibility of psychotropic drug use during lactation. Selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake are commonly prescribed for the treatment of depressive disorders, including fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, and paroxetine. A validated bioanalytical method using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was developed and validated for determination of antidepressants in human milk following protein precipation. The bioanalytical method was successfully applied to assess milk samples from nursing mothers. From found concentrations, infant absolute (4.36-12.26µg/kg/day) and relative dose (0.60-2.90%,) were estimated and low values were obtained indicating safe use during laction. However, other factors such as complemantary feeding and hepatic or renal disorders in the infant should be considered.

Pharmacokinetics study of mazindol in plasma, oral fluid, and urine of volunteers.

PURPOSE: There are no pharmacokinetics studies in oral fluid reported in the literature, as well as there are no data on correlation of drug levels in plasma, urine, and oral fluid in order to propose alternative matrices to monitor the use of mazindol by drivers. The present work aimed to study, preliminarily, mazindol's pharmacokinetics in plasma and oral fluid, as well as investigate the correlation of drug levels in urine, plasma, and oral fluid. METHOD: Blood, urine, and oral fluid samples from seven healthy male volunteers were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 24 h after administration of tablets of 2 mg mazindol and analyzed by a previously validated method by LC-MS with liquid-liquid extraction. Levels of the drug found were higher in plasma when compared with oral fluid and higher in urine in relation to plasma. The study of the mazindol's pharmacokinetics showed that the most suitable model to describe the variation of the concentration over time is the compartment open model with absorption and elimination following the first-order kinetics, and confirming literature data, drug is metabolized, being the major metabolite detected, but not quantified. CONCLUSION: It was not found a good correlation between the concentrations of mazindol in urine and plasma, but between plasma and oral fluid, there was a good correlation, suggesting this as an alternative matrix to plasma. However, studies involving more subjects are needed.

Analysis of cocaine/crack biomarkers in meconium by LC-MS.

Fetal exposure to illicit drugs is a worldwide problem, since many addicted women do not stop using it during pregnancy. Cocaine consumed in powdered (snorted or injected) or smoked (crack cocaine) form are harmful for the baby and its side effects are not completely known. Meconium, the first stool of a newborn, is a precious matrix usually discarded, that may contain amounts of substances consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. Analyzing this biological matrix it is possible to detect the unaltered molecule of cocaine (COC) or its metabolite benzoylecgonine (BZE) and pyrolytic products anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME) and anhydroecgonine (AEC). A liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was validated for meconium samples after solvent extraction, followed by direct injection of 10µL. Linearity covered a concentration range of 15 to 500ng/mg with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 15ng/mg for all analytes. Matrix effect was evaluated and showed adequate results. Detection of illicit substances usage can be crucial for the baby, since knowing that can help provide medical care as fast as possible. The method proved to be simple and fast, and was applied to 17 real meconium samples.

Validation and application of a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometric method for determination of mazindol in human plasma and urine.

INTRODUCTION: Even after removal of some stimulants, like fenproporex, amfepramone and mazindol, from Brazilian market, the use of these substances is still high, especially by drivers. Mazindol is the second most used anorectic agent in the world acting as an indirect sympathomimetic agonist, having stimulatory action on central nervous system. Plasma is a good matrix to monitor since it reflects the psychomotor effects of these drugs, but unlike urine has an invasive collection; drug levels and detection time are quite low. METHOD: The method involved a liquid-liquid extraction of the samples and a LC-MS analysis was fully validated. Method was used to analyze samples of urine and plasma collected from health volunteers in a period of 24h. Metabolite of mazindol was synthesized using alkaline conditions. RESULTS: After validation the method proved to be adequate to analyze samples collected from health volunteers. Method was linear in the concentration range of 0.1-10ng/mL (r=0.9982) for plasma and 5-50ng/mL (r=0.9973) for urine. DISCUSSION: Analysis of the samples showed that mazindol can be detected after 1h of administration and that concentration levels in urine were always higher than in plasma. Mazindol metabolite was detected only in urine.

Development of alternative methods for the determination of raloxifene hydrochloride in tablet dosage form / O desenvolvimento de métodos alternativos para a determinação do cloridrato de raloxifeno na forma de dosagem em comprimidos

Three methods are proposed for the quantitative determination of raloxifene hydrochloride in pharmaceutical dosage form: ultraviolet method (UV) high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and micellar capillary electrophoresis (MEKC). These methods were developed and validated and showed good linearity, precision and accuracy. Also they demonstrated to be specific and robust. The HPLC and MEKC methods were tested in regards to be stability indicating methods and they showed to have this attribute. The UV method used methanol as solvent and optimal wavelength at 284 nm, obeying Lambert-Beer law in these conditions. The chromatographic conditions for the HPLC method included: NST column C18 (250 x 4.6 mm x 5 µm), mobile phase water:acetonitrile:triethylamine (67:33:0,3 v/v), pH 3.5, flow rate 1.0 mL min^-1, injection volume 20.0 µl, UV detection 287 nm and analysis temperature 30 °C. The MEKC method was performed on a fused-silica capillary (40 cm effective length x 50 µm i.d.) using as background electrolyte 35.0 mmol L^-1 borate buffer and 50.0 mmol L^-1 anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at pH 8.8. The capillary temperature was 32°C, applied voltage 25 kV, UV detection at 280 nm and injection was perfomed at 45 mBar for 4 s, hydrodimanic mode. In this MEKC method, potassium diclofenac (200.0 µg mL^-1) was used as internal standard. All these methods were statistically analyzed and demonstrated to be equivalent for quantitative analysis of RLX in tablets and were successfully applied for the determination of the drug...

Três métodos são propostos para a quantificação de cloridrato de raloxifeno em sua forma farmacêutica de comprimidos: espectrofotometria no ultravioleta (UV), cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC) e eletroforese capilar micelar (MEKC). Estes métodos desenvolvidos e validados demonstraram linearidade, precisão e exatidão. Também foram específicos e robustos. Os métodos HPLC e MEKC foram desenvolvidos para indicar a estabilidade do fármaco e demonstraram ter este atributo. O método UV usou metanol como solvente e comprimento de onda de 284nm, obedecendo a Lei de Lambert-Beer nestas condições. Os parâmetros cromatográficos para o método HPLC foram: coluna NST C18 (250 x 4,6 mm x 5 µm), fase móvel composta de água:acetonitrila:trietilamina (67:33:0,3 v/v), pH 3,5, vazão da fase móvel de 1,0 mL min^-1, volume de injeção de 20 µl, detecção no comprimento de onda de 287 nm e temperatura de análise de 30°C. O método MEKC foi realizado utilizando capilar de sílica fundida (40 cm de comprimento efetivo x 50 µm de diâmetro interno) usando como fase móvel solução tampão borato 35.0 mmol L^-1 e solução de dodecil sulfato de sódio (SDS) 50.0 mmol L^-1 pH 8,8. A temperatura de análise foi de 32 °C, com voltagem aplicada de 25 kV, detecção no comprimento de onda de 280 nm e injeção da amostra realizada a 45 mBar por 4 s em modo hidrodinâmico. Para este método MEKC, foi utilizado diclofenaco de potássio (200.0 µg mL^-1) como padrão interno. Todos os métodos foram analisados estatisticamente e demostraram ser equivalentes para a análise quantitativa de raloxifeno em comprimidos e foram aplicados com sucesso na determinação do fármaco...

Determination of cocaine/crack biomarkers in colostrum by LC-MS following protein precipitation.

Drug abuse by nursing mothers is an ongoing concern because it may cause many adverse effects to the newborns. The development of analytical methods to analyze drugs of abuse in colostrum (first milk produced after birth) has a huge importance, because it enables the monitoring and the correct follow-up to users and newborns. A liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of cocaine and smoked cocaine (crack) biomarkers in colostrum. Cocaine (COC) and its major metabolite benzoylecgonine (BZE), the pyrolytic products anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME) and anhydroecgonine (AEC) were analyzed after a simple protein precipitation procedure using atropine (ATP) as internal standard (IS). Applying a chemometric approach study, all peaks were chromatographically separated at isocratic condition with a Kinetex HILIC column for polar compounds, at 30°C in 12min. One ion was detected for the quantification and three ions for confirmation of each analyte. The method was linear for all analytes in the concentration range of 5-300ng/mL with correlation coefficients (r) between 0.9983 and 0.9996. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 5ng/mL with acceptable validation parameters. Matrix effect was assessed by post-extraction addition approach and showed good results, demonstrating that protein precipitation cleaning procedure is fast, reliable and demand small quantities of organic solvent. The LC-MS method is fast and cheap compared to other equipments and was also successfully applied to assess real samples of colostrum from nursing mothers who were suspect of cocaine/crack abuse.