title: Simultaneous HPLC determination of 14 tricyclic antidepressants and metabolites in human plasma.
abstract: A HPLC method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of seven tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and seven metabolites in human plasma. The analyte separation was obtained using a C8 reversed phase column and a mobile phase composed of 68% aqueous phosphate buffer at pH 3.0 and 32% ACN. The UV detector was set at 220 nm and loxapine was used as the internal standard. A careful pre-treatment procedure for plasma samples was developed, using SPE on C2 cartridges, which gives satisfactory extraction yields (>80%) and good sample purification. The LOQs were always lower than 9.1 ng/mL and the LODs always lower than 3.1 ng/mL for all analytes. The method was successfully applied to plasma samples from depressed patients undergoing therapy with one or more TCA drugs. Precision data (RSD <8.1%), as well as accuracy results (recovery >80%), were satisfactory and no interference from other drugs was found. Hence the method seems to be suitable for the therapeutic drug monitoring of patients treated with TCAs under monotherapy or polypharmacy regimens.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaco-Toxicological Analysis, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mercolini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mandrioli
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Finizio
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boncompagni
authors.forename: Maria Augusta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Raggi
mesh_terms: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D015394:Molecular Structure; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic