title: Sensitive method for the determination of chloroquine and its metabolite desethyl-chloroquine in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography.
abstract: A method has been developed for the rapid quantitative analysis of chloroquine and its metabolite desethyl-chloroquine in plasma, blood and urine using high-performance liquid chromatography. An ethylene dichloride extract of the alkalinized biological samples was extracted with dilute acid and chromatographed on a reversed-phase column. Phosphate buffer in acetonitrile was used as the mobile phase with perchlorate as the counter-ion. Ultraviolet absorption at 254 or 340 nm or fluorescence detection was used. The fluorescence spectra and the fluorescence quantum yield of the substances were determined. Chloroquine and desethyl-chloroquine concentrations in the range of 10 nmol/l (UV-detection) and of 0.5 nmol/l (fluorescence detection) could be accurately measured with a relative standard deviation of 12%. The method should be adequate for therapeutic and pharmacokinetic studies.
mesh_terms: D002738:Chloroquine / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D002738:Chloroquine