[Determination of levodropropizine and its pharmacokinetics in human plasma using LC/MS/MS].
OBJECTIVE
To develop a rapid and sensitive LC/MS/MS method for the analysis of levodropropizine in plasma and study the pharmacokinetics of levodropropizine in healthy Chinese volunteers.


METHODS
Levodropropizine and zolmitriptan (internal standard, IS) were extracted from plasma samples and chromatographed on a C18 column and detected using a tandem mass spectrometer with a TurboIon Spray ionization interface. Quantitation was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of the transitions of the m/z 237 --> m/z 120 for levodropropizine and m/z 288 --> m/z 58 for the IS.


RESULTS
The limit of quantification of the method for levodropropizine was 0.25 microg x L(-1). The assay was linear over the concentration range from 0.25 to 500.0 microg x L(-1) and intra- and inter-day precision over this range were < 11.4% with good accuracy.


CONCLUSIONS
The method is shown to be accurate, and suitable for clinical pharmacokinetic study of levodropropizine.
Zhao
Li-mei
LM
Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, No. 2 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China. LMZhao16@hotmail.com
Zhao
Li
L
Sun
Ya-xin
YX
Qiu
Feng
F
Guo
Shan-bin
SB
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
D000996:Antitussive Agents; D011409:Propylene Glycols; C035916:dipropizine