Quantitative liquid chromatographic determination of bromadoline and its N-demethylated metabolites in blood, plasma, serum, and urine samples.

Bromadoline and its two N-demethylated metabolites were extracted into ether:butyl chloride after the addition of internal standard and basification of the various biological fluids (blood, plasma, serum, and urine). These compounds were then extracted into dilute phosphoric acid from the organic phase and separated on a reversed-phase chromatographic system using a mobile phase containing acetonitrile and a buffer of 1,4-dimethylpiperazine and perchloric acid. The overall absolute extraction recoveries of these compounds were approximately 50-80%. The background interferences from the biological fluids were negligible and allowed quantitative determination of bromadoline and the metabolites at levels as low as 2-5 ng/mL. At mobile phase flow rate of 1 mL/min, the sample components and the internal standard were eluted at the retention times within approximately 7-12 min. The drug- and metabolite-to-internal standard peak height ratios showed excellent linear relationships with their corresponding concentrations. The analytical method showed satisfactory within- and between-run assay precision and accuracy, and has been utilized in the simultaneous determination of bromadoline and its two N-demethylated metabolites in biological fluids collected from humans and from dogs after administration of bromadoline maleate.