High-performance liquid chromatographic behaviour of some pharmaceutically important thiazide, loop and potassium-sparing diuretics

Masking and manipulation

The list of prohibited substances in sports includes a group of masking agents that are forbidden in both in- and out-of-competition doping tests. This group consists of a series of compounds that are misused in sports to mask the administration of other doping agents, and includes: diuretics, used to reduce the concentration in urine of other doping agents either by increasing the urine volume or by reducing the excretion of basic doping agents by increasing the urinary pH; probenecid, used to reduce the concentration in urine of acidic compounds, such as glucuronoconjugates of some doping agents; 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, used to reduce the formation of 5alpha-reduced metabolites of anabolic androgenic steroids; plasma expanders, used to maintain the plasma volume after misuse of erythropoietin or red blood cells concentrates; and epitestosterone, used to mask the detection of the administration of testosterone. Diuretics may be also misused to achieve acute weight loss before competition in sports with weight categories. In this chapter, pharmacological modes of action, intended pharmacological effects for doping purposes, main routes of biotransformation and analytical procedures used for anti-doping controls to screen and confirm these substances will be reviewed and discussed.

Effects of pH and the presence of micelles on the resolution of diuretics by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

A comparative study on the performance of two RPLC modes on the separation of 18 diuretics with diverse acid-base behaviour (acetazolamide, althiazide, amiloride, bendroflumethiazide, benzthiazide, bumetanide, canrenoic acid, chlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, ethacrynic acid, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, piretanide, probenecid, spironolactone, triamterene, trichloromethiazide and xipamide) was carried out. A conventional octadecylsilane column and acidic acetonitrile-water mobile phases, in the absence and presence of micelles of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), were used. The effects of pH and the modifiers acetonitrile and SDS on peak asymmetry, efficiency, selectivity, resolution and analysis time, were examined. The comparison of both RPLC modes (aqueous- and micellar-organics) was done using the same processing tools, applying several polynomial and mechanistic equations to describe the retention. The best separations were obtained by maximising the product of peak purities, considering a wide range of experimental conditions. The study illustrates that, despite the theoretical and practical complexity of the problem, the predicted optimal chromatograms can be reproduced experimentally with great accuracy. None of the examined RPLC modes was able to yield baseline separation of the 18 diuretics. However, their selectivity was complementary, being appropriate for different combinations of a smaller number of the assayed diuretics.

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of a complex mixture of diuretics using a micellar mobile phase of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Application to human urine samples

A systematic optimization of the HPLC separation of a complex mixture containing 19 diuretics by micellar liquid chromatography using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), a Hypersil (150 mmx3.0 mm I.D., 5 microm) C18 column, a flow-rate of 0.5 ml min(-1) and UV absorbance detection has been carried out. Several mobile phases consisting of SDS and organic modifiers such as acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, propanol, butanol or pentanol, and the pH adjusted to 3.2, were tested. The effect of the organic modifier and SDS concentration on the retention behavior and separation of the diuretics was investigated. A mobile phase containing 40 mM SDS and 4% tetrahydrofuran was finally selected. Under these conditions, 14 out of 19 diuretics were separated in about 31 min. A bivariant optimization method for the mobile phase SDS-tetrahydrofuran corroborated the above results. The effect of temperature on the retention was also studied, and 50 degrees C was selected. The optimized method was applied to human urine samples of subjects administered Diurex (tablets containing 20 mg of the active ingredient xipamide) without sample preparation.

Modelling retention in liquid chromatography as a function of solvent composition and pH of the mobile phase

The aim of this work was to develop a model that accurately describes retention in liquid chromatography (LC) as a function of pH and solvent composition throughout a large parameter space. The variation of retention as a function of the solvent composition, keeping other factors constants, has been extensively studied. The linear relationship established between retention factors of solutes and the polarity parameter of the mobile phase, E(N)T, has proved to predict accurately retention in LC as a function of the organic solvent content. Moreover, correlation between retention and the mobile phase pH, measured in the hydroorganic mixture, can be established allowing prediction of the chromatographic behavior as a function of the eluent pH. The combination of these relationships could be useful for modelling retention in LC as a function of solvent composition and pH. For that purpose, the retention behavior on an octadecyl silica column of a group of diuretic compounds covering a wide range of physico-chemical properties were studied using acetonitrile as organic modifier. The suggested model accurately describes retention of ionizable solutes as concomitant effects of variables included and is applicable to all solutes studied. We also aimed to establish an experimental design that allows to reproduce to a good approximation the real retention surface from a limited number of experiments, that is from a limited number of chromatograms. Ultimately, our intention is to use the model and experimental design for the simultaneous interpretive optimization of pH and proportion of organic solvent of the mobile phase to be used in the proposed separation.

Determination of trichlormethiazide in bovine milk by high-performance liquid chromatography

A liquid chromatographic procedure was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of trichlormethiazide (TCMTZ) in bovine milk. Whole milk was defatted by initial centrifugation at 4 degrees C. The resulting skim milk was treated with lead acetate and acetonitrile, vortex mixed, and centrifuged. The acetonitrile from the supernatant was back extracted in ethyl acetate. The organic solvent mixture which contained TCMTZ was further treated with sodium tungstate, vortex mixed, and centrifuged. The top organic layer was removed and evaporated to dryness; the resulting residue was reconstituted in the mobile phase, and the final extract was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC conditions employed included a polymer column, a mobile phase consisting of 30% acetonitrile or 30% acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran (2:1, v/v) in a phosphate buffer (pH 3), and a UV detection at 225 nm. The average recoveries of TCMTZ from milk fortified at 7, 14, 35, 70, and 140 ppb were 88, 93, 117, 110, and 99%, respectively, with corresponding C.V. values of 7, 18, 11, 9, and 21%. The method was validated by assaying milk obtained from a cow dosed with Naquasone. TCMTZ concentration was detected only in the 8 h post dose milk samples and was determined to be 6 ppb.

High-performance liquid chromatography methods for the separation and quantitation of spironolactone and its degradation products in aqueous formulations and of its metabolites in rat serum

HPLC assays have been developed for the determination of spironolactone and its degradation products 7 alpha-thiospirolactone and canrenone in aqueous solutions of beta-cyclodextrins and for the determination of spironolactone and its metabolites 7 alpha-thiospirolactone, 7 alpha-thiomethylspirolactone, 6 beta-hydroxy-7 alpha-thiomethylspirolactone and canrenone in rat serum samples. Both methods were well suited for their respective applications, i.e., studying the stability of spironolactone in liquid formulations of beta-cyclodextrins and the oral absorption of spironolactone in rats. The HPLC method developed for spironolactone and its metabolites in rat serum requires very small volumes of serum making it possible to take several blood samples over a period of time.

Development and validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of cold relief ingredients in chewing gum

An isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of the active compounds paracetamol, pseudoephedrine and chlorpheniramine in chewing gum samples has been developed and validated. The method required a simple liquid-liquid extraction using n-hexane and a mixture of water-acetonitrile prior to HPLC analysis. The chromatographic separation was achieved with an aqueous solution containing hexylamine (pH 3)-acetonitrile as the mobile phase, a Spherisorb C18 column and UV detection at 220 nm. As an application, the proposed method has been used to evaluate the release into saliva of these compounds from samples under a controlled human chewing process.

Detection of diuretic agents in doping control

Since the inclusion of diuretics in the list of banned substances in sports in 1988, a large number of screening and confirmation procedures to detect the presence of these substances in urine samples have been developed. In this paper, a review of the analytical methodology described to analyze diuretics is presented. The paper has been focused on the needs of doping control and mainly screening procedures including sample preparation and liquid or gas chromatographic separation have been considered. More relevant papers using capillary zone electrophoresis have been also considered. Mass spectrometry is mandatory in doping control for confirmation purposes, and finally, mass spectrometric techniques described for diuretics have been reviewed.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of spironolactone and its major metabolite canrenone in urine using ultraviolet detection and column-switching

A rapid and simple column liquid chromatographic method involving a column-switching system for the determination of spironolactone and its main metabolite canrenone in urine is described. Purification and concentration was performed using an Hypersil ODS-C18, 30 microns (20 x 2.1 mm I.D.) pre-column. The most polar urinary compounds were removed by washing the pre-column with water, and the analytes were subsequently switched to a LiChrospher RP C18, 5 microns (125 x 4 mm I.D.) analytical column and separated by means of an acetonitrile-water mobile-phase. Under the proposed conditions, the extraction efficiency was approximately 100% over the 0.5-10.0 micrograms/ml concentration range. The limits of detection were 20 ng/ml for both compounds. The proposed method has been applied to urine samples obtained after the oral administration of spironolactone.

A micellar liquid chromatographic procedure for the determination of amiloride, bendroflumethiazide, chlorthalidone, spironolactone and triamterene in pharmaceuticals

A procedure for the determination of amiloride, bendroflumethiazide, chlorthalidone, spironolactone and triamterene in pharmaceutical preparations (tablets) by micellar liquid chromatography, using a 0.07 M SDS-0.5% pentanol mobile phase, is proposed. Recoveries were found in the 100-108% range, with relative standard deviations of 0.4-3.1%. Elution of the most retained diuretics occurred in less than 18 min (at a 1 ml min-1 flow rate). The change in the values of the solute-micelle binding constants and the partition coefficients of the diuretics between the stationary phase and water, upon addition of pentanol, was also studied.

Analysis of diuretic doping agents by HPLC screening and GC-MSD confirmation

The simultaneous analysis of 14 diuretics in human urine (belonging to five different pharmacological groups) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a diode-array detector was developed by using a gradient elution with acetonitrile and phosphate buffer containing propylamine hydrochloride on a Bondclone-ODS (10 microns) column. The method was applied to the screening test of several diuretics abused by athletes. The confirmation analysis was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with ion-selective detection (GC-MSD). The characteristic mass fragment ions obtained by electron-impact (EI) ionization (70 eV) provided sufficient identification of these diuretic agents. During the 1990 weight-lifting contest of Asia in Kao-Hsiung, Republic of China, one urine sample was found positive for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide.

Excavations in drug chirality: 1. Cyclothiazide

There is a great deal of current interest in the role and importance of chirality in the development of new drugs, but little attention is being paid to the stereochemistry of older drugs. Indeed, many older chiral drugs were introduced without adequate information on their stereochemical identity or composition. We have examined one such drug, the antihypertensive diuretic agent cyclothiazide. Standard sources of drug information and the research literature do not provide data on the stereochemical composition of clinically used cyclothiazide, although scattered reports indicate that the drug may consist of "several stereoisomers." Inspection of the chemical structure of the drug, 6-chloro-3,4-dihydro-3-(5-norbornen-2-yl)-2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazin e-7- sulfonamide 1,1-dioxide, shows that it can exist as eight stereoisomers that may form four racemates. Using synthesis, fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry, gas-liquid chromatography, chiral and nonchiral high-performance liquid chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we determined that pharmaceutical cyclothiazide is in fact a mixture of the eight stereoisomers in the form of the four racemates. The two racemates with endo configuration at the norbornene moiety predominate over the exo racemates, and small but significant differences in isomer distribution between different batches of the drug were observed. We urge that in studies of older drugs the stereochemical details be considered.

Comprehensive screening procedure for diuretics in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid and reliable screening procedure using high-performance liquid chromatography for the detection of 23 diuretics (belonging to five different pharmacological groups) in urine has been developed. Two aliquots of 2-ml urine samples were extracted separately under acidic and basic conditions. The acidic and basic extracts were pooled, evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in methanol. The methanolic extract was injected onto a Hewlett-Packard Hypersil ODS C18 (5 microns) column (column I) and a Hewlett-Packard LiChrosorb RP-18 (5 microns) column (column II; an alternative column). The same gradient mobile phase was used for both columns. A diode array ultraviolet detector was set to monitor the signal to the integrator (Chem Station) at 230 and 275 nm. Recovery studies of the 23 diuretics were performed under acidic and basic conditions. The overall lower limits for detection on column I using both extraction procedures ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 micrograms/ml of urine (average 1.0 micrograms/ml). Amiloride, ethacrynic acid and probenecid could not be detected below 5 micrograms/ml of urine. No interference from the biological matrix was apparent. Amiloride could be detected in urine 4 h after oral administration of 15 mg of amiloride to a healthy volunteer, when the sample was extracted under alkaline conditions. The suitability of the screening method for the analysis of urine samples was tested by studying the variation with time of chlorthalidone, furosemide, probenecid, acetazolamide, quinethazone, spironolactone, bendroflumethiazide, bumetanide, triameterene and hydrochlorothiazide concentrations in the urine of normal human volunteers after minimum single or multiple (probenecid) doses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Retention reproducibility of thiazide diuretics and related drugs in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A method has been developed for the separation of thiazide diuretics and a number of related drugs by high-performance liquid chromatography on an ODS-Hypersil column with acetonitrile-1% aqueous acetic acid as the eluent. The effects caused by changes in the separation conditions on the reproducibility and robustness of alternative methods for recording retentions (including capacity factors, retention indices based on the alkyl aryl ketone scale, and relative capacity factors compared to a thiazide standard) have been examined. The results confirm that good interlaboratory reproducibility will only be achieved when operators control the temperature of the column and use the same brand of column packing material. The retentions should be recorded using a relative method, as these were found to be virtually independent of minor variations in the eluent composition.

Simultaneous quantitative determination of butizide, potassium canrenoate and canrenone in tablets by high-performance liquid chromatography

A procedure for the simultaneous quantitative determination and selective identification of potassium canrenoate and butizide is proposed. The amount of canrenone, the degradation product of potassium canrenoate, is also determined. Elution of these compounds is investigated on LiChrosorb RP-18 and RP-8 columns. The analysis time was shorter on a RP-8 column while the specific identification was still possible. Therefore, the LiChrosorb RP-8 column was chosen. The eluent consisted of an acetonitrile--0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH 4 (45:55) mixture. Quantitative determination was performed at the absorption maximum of each compound: 286 nm for potassium canrenoate and for canrenone, 271 nm for butizide. This change in wavelength is performed automatically by the computer that controls the spectrophotometric diode array detector.