Determination of third-generation cephalosporins by high-performance liquid chromatography in connection with pharmacokinetic studies.
The third-generation cephalosporins are semisynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics, including several oral and parental agents with extended activity against Gram-negative pathogens. They are generally determined either by microbiological techniques or by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The major drawback or bioassays is the lack of specificity, especially when a biotransformation of the cephalosporin molecule leads to active metabolites, or when the antibacterial therapy is based on association with drugs. Thus, for many years, numerous reversed-phase HPLC procedures have been proposed to overcome these difficulties. This review presents different HPLC methods proposed for the quantification in biological fluids of fourteen third-generation cephalosporins, ranged between parenteral and oral compounds. The sensitivity and specificity of these chromatographic procedures are discussed with regard to the pharmacokinetic properties of the antibiotics studied.
Péhourcq
F
F
Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Clinique, Université Victor Segalen, Bordeaux, France.
Jarry
C
C
D000818:Animals; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans
D002511:Cephalosporins