title: Simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of diltiazem and six of its metabolites in human plasma.
abstract: A sensitive, specific and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic technique is described for the simultaneous determination in human plasma of diltiazem (DZ) and six of its primary and secondary metabolites which are products of N- and O-demethylation, deacetylation and N-oxidation. The method involves addition of excess KHCO3 to 1 ml of plasma, followed by extraction with 4 ml of ethyl acetate. The organic layer was extracted with 0.01 M HCl and the aqueous layer was dried under nitrogen and then reconstituted with 0.002 M HCl. DZ and its metabolites were free from interference and wer baseline-separated. Calibration curves were linear in the concentration range studied (5-500 ng/ml for all the species). The lower limit of quantification of the assay was 5 ng/ml for DZ and the metabolites. Inter-day and intra-day coefficients of variation were less than 10%. The applicability of this procedure is shown by evaluating the kinetics of DZ and its metabolites in three patients receiving chronic DZ therapy. N-Demethyldiltiazem, deacetyldiltiazem and N-demethyldeacetyldiltiazem were found to be the major metabolites, as previously described. Deacetyldiltiazem N-oxide was found in two of the patients. The other two known but unreported metabolites in human, O-demethyldeacetyldiltiazem and N,O-didemethyldeacetyldiltiazem, were found in the plasma of all three patients.
authors: Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors: M D
authors: MD
authors: Hussain
authors: Y K
authors: YK
authors: Tam
authors: B A
authors: BA
authors: Finegan
authors: R T
authors: RT
authors: Coutts
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004110:Diltiazem