title: Determination of trazodone and its metabolite, 1-m-chlorophenyl-piperazine, in human plasma and red blood cell samples by HPLC.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop an HPLC method for the analysis of trazodone and its metabolite, 1-m-chlorophenyl-piperazine (m-CPP), in human plasma and red blood cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analytes were extracted by heptane containing 1.5% isoamyl alcohol, back extracted into phosphoric acid and analyzed by reverse phase HPLC with UV detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In seven randomly selected, male, human subjects plasma concentrations (nmol/l) were 380-5841 for trazodone and 14-237 for m-CPP while those in packed red blood cells were 98-634 for trazodone and 15-155 for m-CPP. Plasma trazodone concentrations were 4-11-fold higher than those in red blood cells while those of m-CPP were about equal. This may be the first report on concentrations of trazodone and m-CPP in human red blood cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This sensitive method can be used for monitoring trazodone and m-CPP in human plasma and red blood cells.
authors.affiliation: GRECC Program, Research Service, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Vatassery
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hazel
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Dysken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000097:blood*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000097:blood*; D014196:Trazodone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010879:Piperazines; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C015068:1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine; D014196:Trazodone