The use of stable isotope labeling and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry techniques to study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of the antimigraine drug, MK-0462 (rizatriptan) in dogs.

MK-0462 (rizatriptan) is a 5HT1D agonist being developed for the treatment of migraine. The assay for this substance in plasma and urine is based on HPLC with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection. The procedure has been modified to include the simultaneous determination of the [triazole-13C2, 15N3-] stable-isotope-labelled analogue for which the lower quantifiable limit was 0.1 ng mL-1. The assay has been applied to study the pharmacokinetics of MK-0462 after simultaneous oral and intravenous administration of the drug and its stable-isotope-labelled analogue to dogs. The experiment afforded an estimate of plasma clearance concomitant with a precise measurement of the drug's oral bioavailability. The increasing use of LC-MS/MS in quantitative experiments may renew interest in stable isotopes as tools for pharmaceutical research.