Pretreatment and analysis techniques development of TKIs in biological samples for pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)have emerged as the first-line small molecule drugs in many cancer therapies,exerting their effects by impeding aberrant cell growth and proliferation through the modulation of tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling pathways.However,there exists a substantial inter-individual variability in the concentrations of certain TKIs and their metabolites,which may render patients with compromised immune function susceptible to diverse infections despite receiving theoretically efficacious anticancer treatments,alongside other potential side effects or adverse reactions.Therefore,an urgent need exists for an up-to-date review concerning the biological matrices relevant to bioanalysis and the sampling methods,clinical pharmacokinetics,and therapeutic drug monitoring of different TKIs.This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements in pretreatment methods,such as protein precipitation(PPT),liquid-liquid extraction(LLE),solid-phase extraction(SPE),micro-SPE(μ-SPE),magnetic SPE(MSPE),and vortex-assisted dispersive SPE(VA-DSPE)achieved since 2017.It also highlights the latest analysis techniques such as newly developed high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and high-resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS)methods,capillary electrophoresis(CE),gas chromatography(GC),supercritical fluid chromatography(SFC)procedures,surface plasmon resonance(SPR)assays as well as novel nanoprobes-based biosensing techniques.In addition,a comparison is made between the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches while presenting critical challenges and prospects in pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring.

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric assay for duloxetine in human plasma:Its pharmacokinetic application

This paper describes a simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for the determination of duloxetine in human plasma. A duloxetine stable labeled isotope （duloxetine ds） was used as an internal standard. Analyte and the internal standard were extracted from 100 btL of human plasma via solid phase extraction technique using Oasis HLB cartridges. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Cl8 column by using a mixture of acetonitrile 5 mM ammonium acetate buffer （83：17, v/v） as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. The calibration curve obtained was linear （r2≥0.99） over the concentration range of 0.05 101 ng/mL. Multiple-reaction monitoring mode （MRM） was used for quantification of ion transitions at rn/z 298.3/154.1 and 303.3/159.1 for the drug and the internal standard, respectively. Method validation was performed as per FDA guidelines and the results met the acceptance criteria. A run time of 2.5 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 300 plasma samples per day. The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.

Pharmacokinetic study of paclitaxel in malignant ascites from advanced gastric cancer patients

AIM： To examine the paclitaxel concentrations in plasma and ascites after its intravenous administration in patients with ascites due to peritonitis carcinomatosa resulting from advanced gastric cancer. METHODS： Two patients with ascites due to peritonitis carcinomatosa resulting from gastric cancer were included in this study. The paclitaxel concentrations in plasma and ascites were investigated for 72 h in case 1 and 168 h in case 2 after intravenous administration. RESULTS： The paclitaxel concentration in plasma peaked immediately after administration, followed by rapid decrease below the threshold value of 0.1 μmol （85 ng/mL） within 24 h. In contrast, the paclitaxel concentration in ascites increased gradually for 24 h after administration to a level consistent with the level found in plasma. After 24 h the level of paclitaxel in ascites and plasma became similar, with the optimal level being maintained up to 72 h following administration. CONCLUSION： The concentration of paclitaxel in ascites is maintained within the optimal level for the treatment of cancer cells for up to 72 h after intravenous administration. Paclitaxel is a promising drug for the treatment of malignant ascites of gastric cancer.

Quantification of desloratadine in human plasma by LC-ESI-MS/MS and application to a pharmacokinetic study

A simple, sensitive, and specific liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/ MS) method was developed for the quantification of desloratadine (DL) in human plasma using desloratadine-d5 (DLD5) as an internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was performed using an Xbridge C18 column (50 mm 4.6 mm, 5 mm) with an isocratic mobile phase composed of 10 mM ammonium formate: methanol (20:80, v/v), at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min. DL and DLD5 were detected with proton adducts at m/z 311.2-259.2 and 316.2-264.3 in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) positive modes, respectively. Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) method was used to extract the drug and the IS. The method was validated over a linear concentration range of 5.0–5000.0 pg/mL with a correlation coefficient of (r2)Z0.9994. This method demonstrated intra- and inter-day precision within 0.7–2.0% and 0.7–2.7%, and an accuracy within 101.4–102.4%, and 99.5–104.8%. DL was found to be stable throughout the freeze–thaw cycles, bench-top, and postoperative stability studies. This method was successfully applied in the analysis of plasma samples following oral administration of DL (5 mg) in 35 healthy Indian male human volunteers under fasting conditions.

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the estimation of lamotrigine in human plasma:Application to a pharmacokinetic study

A reliable,selective and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantification of lamotrigine in human plasma using lamotrigine13C3,d3 as an internal standard.Analyte and internal standard were extracted from human plasma by solid-phase extraction and detected in positive ion mode by tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization（ESI） interface.Chromatographic separation was performed on a Chromolith s SpeedROD;RP-18e column（50-4.6 mm i.d.） using acetonitrile：570.1 mM ammonium formate solution（90：10,v/v） as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.500 mL/min.The calibration curves were linear over the range of 5.02-1226.47 ng/mL with the lower limit of quantitation validated at 5.02 ng/mL.The analytes were found stable in human plasma through three freeze（-20℃）-thaw（ice-cold water bath） cycles and under storage on bench-top in ice-cold water bath for at least 6.8 h,and also in the mobile phase at 10℃ for at least 57h.The method has shown good reproducibility,as the intra-and inter-day precisions were within 3.0%,while the accuracies were within 76.0% of nominal values.The validated LC-MS/MS method was applied for the evaluation of pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence parameters of lamotrigine after an oral administration of 50mg lamotrigine tablet to thirty-two healthy adult male volunteers.

A rapid and sensitive determination of paclitaxel in rat plasma by UPLC-MS/MS method: Application to a pharmacokinetic study

A rapid and sensitive method for quantitative determination of paclitaxel in rat plasmawas developed and validated by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandemmass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Docetaxel was used as an internal standard anddiethyl ether was the liquideliquid extraction agent. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)mode via positive electrospray ionization (ESI) was applied to detect paclitaxel and IS at thetransitions m/z 854 / 286 and m/z 808.48 / 527.3, respectively. This method covered alinearity range from 5 to 5000 ng/ml, with the total run time of 3.0 min. In summary, a highthroughout UPLC-MS/MS method was successfully developed to measure paclitaxel in ratplasma and was applied to pharmacokinetic study after intravenous administration ofpaclitaxel.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the estimation of adefovir in human plasma:Application to a pharmacokinetic study

An analytical method based on solid phase extraction was developed and validated for analysis of adefovir in human plasma. Adefovir-d4 was used as an internal standard and Synergi MAX RP80A （150rnmx4.6mm. 41am） column provided the desired chromatographic separation of compounds followed by detection with mass spectrometry. The method used simple isocratic chromato- graphic condition and mass spectrometric detection in the positive ionization mode. The calibration cuives were linear over the range of 0.50-42.47 ng/mL with the lower limit of quantitation validated at 0.50 ng/mL. Matrix effect was assessed by post-column infusion experiment to monitor phospholipids and post- extraction addition experiment was performed. The degree of matrix effect for adefovir was determined as 7.5% and ion-enhancement in five different lots of human plasma was 7.1% and had no impact on study samples analysis with 4.5 rain run time. The intra- and inter-day precision values were within 7.7% and 7.8%, respectively, for adefovir at the lower limit of quantification level. Validated bioanalytical method was successfully applied to clinical sample analysis.

UPLCeMS/MS for the determination of azilsartan in beagle dog plasma and its application in a pharmacokinetics study

The purpose of the study is to develop an ultra performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry(UPLCeMS/MS)to determinate the concentration of azilsartan in the dog plasma.After precipitated by methanol,the plasma sample containing azilsartan and diazepam(internal standard,IS)was determined by UPLCeMS/MS.The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water was pumped at a flow rate of 0.3 ml/min in gradient elution.Kinetex 2.6 m XB-C18 column(50
2.1 mm,100Å;Phenomenex,USA)were used for LC separations.The column temperature was 30℃ and the injection volume was 5 ml.The electrospray ionization(ESI)and multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)were applied at the transitions of m/z 457/279(azilsartan)and m/z 285/193(diazepam),respectively.The developed method was identified a good linearity over a concentration range of 2.5e5000 ng/ml.The lower limit of quantitation(LLOQ)was 2.5 ng/ml.The intraday and inter-day precision(relative standard deviation,RSD%)were less than 10%and accuracy(relative error,RE%)was less than 5%at three quality control levels.The extraction recovery of azilsartan at three quality control levels were 82.41±0.68%,98.66±11.00%,102.43±0.82%.And the recovery for IS(100 ng/ml)was 91.75±0.54%.A validated UPLCeMS/MS method was firstly developed for the quantification of azilsartan in dog plasma and it was applied to the pharmacokinetics study.

Development and validation of a high throughput UPLC–MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of esomeprazole,rabeprazole and levosulpiride in human plasma

A high throughput ultra pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS/MS） method with good sensitivity and selectivity has been developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of esomeprazole, rabeprazole and levosulpiride in human plasma using lansoprazole as internal standard （IS）. The extraction method based on liquid-liquid extraction technique was used to extract the analytes and IS from of 50 μL of human plasma using methyl tert-butyl ether：ethyl acetate （80：20, v/v）, which offers a high recovery. Chromatographic separation of analytes and IS was achieved on a Hypersil gold C18 column using gradient mobile phase consisting of 2 mM ammonium formate/acetonitrile. The flow rate was set at 0.5 mL/min to elute all the analytes and IS within 1.00 min runtime. Detection of target compounds was performed on a triple quadruple mass spectrometer by multiple reaction monitoring （MRM） mode via positive electrospray ionization （ESI）. Method validation results demonstrated that the developed method has good precision and accuracy over the concentration ranges of 0.1-2000 ng/mL for each analyte. Stability of compounds was established in a battery of stability studies, i.e., bench top, autosampler, dry extract and long-term storage stability as well as freeze-thaw cycles. The validated method has been successfully applied to analyze human plasma samples for application in pharmaco- kinetic studies.

Quantification of sibutramine and its two metabolites in human plasma by LC-ESI-MS/MS and its application in a bioequivalence study

Obesity can be considered as a chronic illness of epidemic proportion and its incidents have increased exponentially in recent years.The use of anti-obesity drugs such as sibutramine is somewhat helpful.There is a need to quantify such drugs in biological samples,which is generally quite difficult.In this report,we developed and validated a simple,sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of sibutramine (SB) and its two metabolites N-des methyl sibutramine (DSB) and N-di desmethyl sibutramine (DDSB) in human plasma.Zorbax SBC18 (4.6 mm × 75 mm,3.5 μm,80 (A)) analytical column and 5 mM ammonium formate:acetonitrile (10∶90,v/v) mobile phase were used for chromatographic separation of SB,DSB and DDSB.Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in the positive mode was used to detect SB,DSB and DDSB at m/z 280.3/124.9,266.3/125.3 and 252.2/124.9,respectively.Liquid liquid extraction was used for the extraction of analytes and internal standard from human plasma.This method was validated over a linear concentration range of 10.0-10,000.0 pg/mL for SB,DSB and DDSB with correlation coefficients (r) of ≥0.9997.The drug and the two metabolites were stable in plasma samples.The validated method was successfully applied in a bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic study with human volunteers under fasting condition.

HPLC-UV method with solid-phase extraction for the quantitative determination of biapenem in human plasma and its application in pharmacokinetic study

Biapenem, a new parenteral carbapenem, has been widely used for treating bacterial infections. A simple, effective and accurate method based on solid-phase extraction （SPE） and HPLC was developed for the quantitative determination of biapenem in human plasma. Stability and feasibility of the method was validated through a series of experiments. Using Vitamin B6 as an internal standard, analyte was separated on a Capcell Pak C18 column after SPE on Oasis hydrophilic-lipophilic balance （HLB） cartridge. The mobile phase was comprised of 0.05 mol/L NaH2PO4 （pH 5.7） and methanol （98：2, v/v） at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Ultraviolet absorbance was measured at 300 nm. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 0.04-50.00 μg/mL, and the lower limit of quantification was as low as 0.04 μg/mL. Recovery rates of biapenem at 0.10, 5.00, and 25.00 μg/mL were about 70%. The validated method has been successfully applied for quantifying biapenem in human samples and a pharmacokinetic study of 12 healthy volunteers who received three different doses （150, 300 and 600 mg） of biapenem by intravenous infusion. Our method has featured good accuracy and precision, and the processed sample was stable. Therefore, it can be propagated for clinical use.

Quantitative determination of ilexgenin A in rat plasma by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and its pharmacokinetics

A sensitive and selective high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry （LC-MS） was developed for the quantitative determination of ilexgenin A （IA）,a major component in Radix Ilicis Pubescentis,in rat plasma.Chromatographic separation was performed on a C 18 column,with methanol-5 mM ammonium acetate （80：20,v/v） as the mobile phase.Mass spectrometer was set in negative mode with target ions at m/z 501.1→501.1 for IA and m/z 779.4→779.4 for digoxin （internal standard,IS）.Rat plasma was extracted with ethyl acetate after addition of phosphoric solution and the organic layer was evaporated and reconstituted with mobile phase for LC-MS analysis.The proposed method was validated with a linear range of 1.05-525.5 ng/mL for IA with limit of quantitation （LOQ） at 1.05 ng/mL.Intra-and inter-day precision expressed as relative standard deviation （RSD） were less than 10% at LOQ level and overall recovery was over 80%.This validated method was used successfully for the pharmacokinetic study of IA in rats after oral dosing of IA （100 mg/kg） and some main pharmacokinetic parameters of IA in rats were obtained.

Determination of Shionone in Rat Plasma by HPLC and Its Pharmacokinetic study

Objective To develop a sensitive,simple,and accurate method for the determination of shionone in rat plasma after ig administration of Asteris Radix petroleum ether extract(RAPE).Methods The separation was achieved by HPLC on a RP18 column(150 mm × 3.9 mm,5 μm) with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile-0.05% phosphoric acid water(98:2) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.UV Detector was set at 200 nm and friedelin was chosen as an internal standard.Results The linear range of the standard curves was(0.3443-22.0) μg/mL with the correlation coefficient of 0.9968.The intra-and inter-day precisions were all below 10% and the relative error was -3.5%-1.1%.Conclusion The developed method can be successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study.After ig administration of RAPE,T1/2(ka) is(33.09 ± 7.32) min and T1/2(ke) is(84.95 ± 22.34) min.

Pharmacokinetic profiles of falcarindiol and oplopandiol in rats after oral administration of polyynes extract of Oplopanax elatus

Polyynes, such as facarindiol(FAD) and oplopandiol(OPD), are responsible for anticancer activities of Oplopanax elatus(O. elatus). A novel approach to pharmacokinetics determination of the two natural polyynes in rats was developed and validated using a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) method. Biosamples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate/n-hexane(V : V = 9 : 1) and the analytes were eluted on an Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 threaded column(4.6 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 μm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1% aqueous formic acid at a flow-rate of 0.5 m L·min–1 within a total run time of 11 min. All analytes were simultaneously monitored in a single-quadrupole mass spectrometer in the selected ion monitoring(SIM) mode using electrospray source in positive mode. The method was demonstrated to be rapid, sensitive, and reliable, and it was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of the two polyynes in rat plasma after oral administration of polyynes extract of O. elatus.

Sensitive Analysis and Pharmacokinetic Study of Berberrubine Using LC-MS/MS

Objective To develop a sensitive and reproducible liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry（LC-MS/MS） method to evaluate the pharmacokinetic behavior of berberrubine（BRB） and its glucuronide（BRBG） in rats. Methods BRB, BRBG and tetrahydroberberine（THB, internal standard） were isolated by liquid-liquid extraction in rat biological samples. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C_（18）（2.1 mm × 50 mm, 3.5-Micron） with a gradient mobile phases primarily containing acetonitrile, water with 0.1% formic acid and 5 mm ammonium acetate. The analytes were monitored by MS/MS in positive electrospray ionization mode. Herein, the feasibility of new developed method was validated with respect to specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, extraction efficiency and matrix effect. The appropriate method was used for the pharmacokinetic study in rats.Results The new developed method could be applied to the pharmacokinetic study of BRB in rats. BRB and BRBG showed good linearity over the ranges of 2-1000 ng/mL and 5-2000 ng/mL, respectively, and precision was no more than 15%. The accuracy, specificity and stability could be acceptable. Conclusion The new method is sensitive and reproducible. In pharmacokinetic study, BRB showed nonlinear elimination property. Meanwhile, BRB was rapidly absorbed and widely distributed in various tissues with the highest exposure of BRB in kidney and liver. The absolute bioavailability of BRB was determined to be 8.2% and at the dose of 40 mg/kg, a total of 44% BRB was excreted in urine and feces.

Pharmacokinetic study and metabolite identification of the bidesmosidic triterpenoid saponin BTS-1 in rat plasma

Assays based on high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC–MSn)have been developed and validated for the determination and metabolite identification of the bidesmosidic triterpenoid saponin,BTS-1(3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-2)-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-3)]-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl gypsogenin 28-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-3)-βD-xylopyranosyl-(1-4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-β-D-fucopyranoside),in rat plasma.The assay was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats given a single oral dose of BTS-1(400 mg/kg).The results indicated that the compound was rapidly absorbed(Tmax=1.2870.29 h,Cmax=37.475.6 mg/mL)and slowly eliminated(t1/2=13.276.6 h).In addition,secondary glycosides and aglycones of BTS-1 were detected and identified.Since these metabolites are known to be activeα-glucosidase inhibitors,they probably play an important role in mediating the pharmacological effects of the saponin.

Pharmacokinetic study of repaglinide floating drug delivery system in rabbits by RP-HPLC method

The present work is aimed to study the pharmacokinetic parameters of optimized repaglinide floating drug delivery system(FDDS) by 24 factorial designs,followed by comparison with a commercially available formulation.The main effects and interactions of formulation variables were studied by using normal and pareto charts.The optimized formulation shows a fickian diffusion drug release mechanism.Pharmacokinetic parameters of the designed drug delivery system were evaluated in rabbit models.Mean while a simple,specific high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated as per biopharmaceutical specifications,the linearity was observed at the range of 110-550 ng/mL(r2 = 0.999).By using methanol-phosphate buffer(pH 2.5)(70:30,v/v) as mobile phase at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min the validation shows a better retention time of 5.2 min for repaglinide.And the same validation method was used for pharmacokinetic profile analysis of repaglinide marketed products and FDDS.The comparative pharmacokinetic results such as tmax,half-life,area under the curve,mean residence times were increased significantly for the repaglinide in FDDS than the marketed product of repaglinide except Cmax and elimination rate constant.

Scientific and Practical Bio-analysis Method is Basic for TCM Pharmacokinetic Study

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has an ancient history and unique system, including theory, methodology, prescription, formulation and medicines. There are differences between TCM and chemical drugs. For TCM, the multiple components in vivo are possibly to be detected; the number of components is relatively restricted; they could represent the therapeutic effect of the parent recipe; the concentrations and pharmacokinetics （PK） could affected by the combination of traditional medicines in recipe; the effects of new bioactive compounds （metabolites） related with those of their recipe; and the PK can be affected by body state in TCM treatment significantly. Therefore, the difficulty and challenge are far greater in PK study of TCMs than the chemical drugs.

A study of population pharmacokinetics of linezolid in Chinese

Objective To study the population pharmacokinetic(PPK)profiles of linezolid in Chinese healthy volunteers and infected patients.Methods Linezolid 600 mg was administered to 31 Chinese healthy volunteers with a single dose and to 57 infected patients every 12 h for at least5 doses.High performance liquid chromatography was applied to determine the plasma concentration of linezol-

Review of Rhubarbs: Chemistry and Pharmacology

Rhubarb is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Rheum L. (Polygonaceae). Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (rhubarb roots and rhizomes) is one of the most popular Chinese materia medica and has been widely used for strong laxative function. About 200 compounds with six different types of skeletons (anthraquinone, anthrone, stilbene, flavonoids, acylglucoside, and pyrone) have so far been isolated from eighteen species of the genus Rheum L. These constituents showed extensive pharmacological activities including cathartic, diuretic, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects, as well as toxicological effects. Chemical fingerprint, LC-MS, and other analytical techniques have been used for the quality control of rhubarb. This comprehensive review summarizes the researches into the isolation, pharmacological activities, and phytochemical analysis reported since investigations began in the late 1940s. In addition, pharmacokinetic studies and clinical application of rhubarb are also discussed in present paper.