Determination of atorvastatin and its metabolite ortho-hydroxyatorvastatin in human plasma by on-line anion-exchange solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2009 Jul;394(6):1687-96. doi: 10.1007/s00216-009-2852-3. Epub 2009 Jun 9.

Abstract

A rapid, sensitive, and specific method was developed and validated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous quantitation of atorvastatin (ATV) and its major metabolite ortho-hydroxyatorvastatin (o-HATV) in human plasma. The sample preparation involved a liquid-liquid extraction without chlorinated solvents and an on-line solid-phase extraction exploring the possibilities that anion exchange offers. The analytical method presented intraday and day-to-day variation below 10%; intraday and day-to-day accuracy stood between 94% and 105%; the limit of quantification was 0.1 ng/mL for ATV and 0.5 ng/mL for o-HATV; and the recovery was above 75% for both molecules. This method was applied successfully to quantitate ATV and o-HATV concentrations in an unstudied renal transplant recipient cohort treated with an immunosuppressive regime of tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid and a cohort of hypercholesterolemic patients included in the study as a control group. It can be used to evaluate patient adherence, drug-drug interactions, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships. The results in our study showed that ATV and o-HATV levels in the renal transplant group were significantly increased (p < 0.001), compared to the hypercholesterolemic group.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anions / chemistry*
  • Atorvastatin
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods*
  • Female
  • Heptanoic Acids / blood*
  • Heptanoic Acids / chemistry
  • Heptanoic Acids / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Online Systems*
  • Pyrroles / blood*
  • Pyrroles / chemistry
  • Pyrroles / metabolism
  • Solid Phase Extraction / methods*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*

Substances

  • 2-hydroxyatorvastatin
  • Anions
  • Heptanoic Acids
  • Pyrroles
  • Atorvastatin