Improved assay for R(-)-apomorphine with application to clinical pharmacokinetic studies in Parkinson's disease.
A high performance liquid chromatographic assay for the quantitative determination of apomorphine in human plasma is described. Sample clean-up and concentration was optimised using solid-phase extraction on C18 cartridges, enabling rapid and sensitive determination of apomorphine and potential metabolites. The limit of apomorphine quantification, using fluorescence detection, was 0.5 ng/mL. The assay was stability-indicating, and allowed the detection of analytes in the presence of commonly co-administered anti-Parkinsonian drugs. Apomorphine was stable in frozen plasma containing 0.14% (w/v) ascorbic acid for 98 days, and through four freeze-thaw cycles. The assay has been used in clinical pharmacokinetic studies of apomorphine in patients with Parkinson's disease, and in preliminary studies of novel apomorphine delivery devices in volunteers.
Ingram
Wendy M
WM
Department of Pharmacy, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK. wendy.ingram@pms.ac.uk
Priston
Melanie J
MJ
Sewell
Graham J
GJ
D001058:Apomorphine / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004355:Drug Stability; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D001058:Apomorphine; D001205:Ascorbic Acid