Determination of imidapril and imidaprilat in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Inhibition of Human Liver Carboxylesterase (hCE1) by Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers: Implications for Pharmacotherapy

Organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers, consumer product additives with widespread human exposure, were evaluated for their effect on the activity of purified human liver carboxylesterase (hCE1). Four of the 15 OPEs tested had IC50 values lower than 100 nM, including triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPHP), 4-isopropylphenyl diphenyl phosphate (4IPPDPP), and 4-tert-butylphenyl diphenyl phosphate (4tBPDPP), as did 4 of the commercial flame retardant mixtures tested. Because hCE1 is critical for the activation of imidapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor prodrug prescribed to treat hypertension, the most potent inhibitors, TPHP and 4tBPDPP, and an environmentally relevant mixture (house dust) were further evaluated for their effect on imidapril bioactivation in vitro. TPHP and 4tBPDPP were potent inhibitors of hCE1-mediated imidapril activation (Ki = 49.0 and 17.9 nM, respectively). House dust extracts (100 µg/ml) also caused significant reductions (up to 33%) in imidapril activation. Combined, these data suggest that exposure to OPEs may affect pharmacotherapy.

Kinetic study of the alkaline degradation of imidapril hydrochloride using a validated stability indicating HPLC method

An aqueous alkaline degradation study was performed for imidapril hydrochloride (IMD) drug in the presence of its degradation products and an isocratic stability indicating method was presented using HPLC.

Determination of a novel ACE inhibitor in the presence of alkaline and oxidative degradation products using smart spectrophotometric and chemometric methods

Simple, accurate, sensitive and validated UV spectrophotometric and chemometric methods were developed for the determination of imidapril hydrochloride (IMD) in the presence of both its alkaline (AKN) and oxidative (OXI) degradation products and in its pharmaceutical formulation. Method A is the fourth derivative spectra (D4) which allows the determination of IMD in the presence of both AKN and OXD, in pure form and in tablets by measuring the peak amplitude at 243.0 nm. Methods B, C and D, manipulating ratio spectra, were also developed. Method B is the double divisor–ratio difference spectrophotometric one (DD–RD) by computing the difference between the amplitudes of IMD ratio spectra at 232 and 256.3 nm. Method C is the double divisor-first derivative of ratio spectra method (DD–DR1) at 243.2 nm, while method D is the mean centering of ratio spectra (MCR) at 288.0 nm. Methods A, B, C and D could successfully determine IMD in a concentration range of 4.0–32.0 µg/mL. Methods E and F are principal component regression (PCR) and partial least-squares (PLS), respectively, for the simultaneous determination of IMD in the presence of both AKN and OXI, in pure form and in its tablets. The developed methods have the advantage of simultaneous determination of the cited components without any pre-treatment. The accuracy, precision and linearity ranges of the developed methods were determined. The results obtained were statistically compared with those of a reported HPLC method, and there was no significant difference between the proposed methods and the reported method regarding both accuracy and precision.

Validated liquid chromatographic determination of a novel ACE inhibitor in the presence of its hydrolytic and oxidative degradation products as per ICH guidelines

Imidapril hydrochloride (IMD) is a recently developed prodrug-type angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Due to its instability under both hydrolytic and oxidative conditions, development of rapid, simple and sensitive methods for its determination in the presence of its possible degradation products is essential. We proposed two simple liquid chromatographic methods associated with ultraviolet detection. The first method is an HPTLC-densitometric one in which separation of IMD from its degradation products was achieved followed by densitometric scanning at 220 nm using silica gel F254 plates and chloroform:ethanol:acetic acid (3:0.5:0.1, v/v/v) as the developing system. The second method was based on RP-HPLC in which the separation was performed using C18 analytical column and isocratic elution system with acetonitrile: 0.15% triethylamine (pH=2.2) (40:60, v/v). The optimum flow rate was 1.5 mL min(-1) and the detection was at 220 nm. Validation was conducted in compliance with the ICH guidelines and the methods were successfully applied for IMD determination in its commercial tablets. The obtained results were statistically compared to those obtained by applying reported HPLC method where no significant difference was found in accordance with accuracy and precision.

An overview of chromatographic methods coupled with mass spectrometric detection for determination of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in biological material

Gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, LC-MS) methods for the determination of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and their metabolites in biological material have been reviewed. Since 1980s those hyphenated techniques have been applied to quantitate ACE inhibitors and the dynamic increase in the number of relevant publications can be observed in recent years. Although most of the methods available in the literature were analyses of plasma or serum, assays of blood and urine were also included. Additionally, sample pretreatment methods, separation conditions and ionization modes were overviewed. Some information on chemical structures, cis-trans izomerization and stability of compounds in question was also included. Most of the reported methods were successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies in humans.

Reliable on-line sample preparation of basic compounds from plasma using a reversed phase restricted access media in column-switching LC

We investigated on-line sample preparation of basic compounds from plasma using a methylcellulose-immobilized reversed-phase restricted-access media in column-switching liquid chromatography (LC). Dilution of the plasma sample with phosphate buffered saline prevented or delayed the formation of fibrin clots at 4 degrees C and resulted in reproducible on-line sample preparation over a 30-h period. The use of an ion-pair reagent in the extraction LC enhanced recoveries of hydrophilic basic compounds. The ability of the methods to quantify compounds in plasma were validated and the method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of a hydrophilic basic compound injected into the bloodstream of rats.

Mechanism of induction of muscle protein degradation by angiotensin II

Angiotensin I and II have been shown to directly induce protein degradation in skeletal muscle through an increased activity and expression of the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway. This investigation determines the role of the nuclear transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in this process. Using murine myotubes as a surrogate model system both angiotensin I and II were found to induce activation of protein kinase C (PKC), with a parabolic dose-response curve similar to the induction of total protein degradation. Activation of PKC was required for the induction of proteasome expression, since calphostin C, a highly specific inhibitor of PKC, attenuated both the increase in total protein degradation and in proteasome expression and functional activity increased by angiotensin II. PKC is known to activate I-kappaB kinase (IKK), which is responsible for the phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of I-kappaB. Both angiotensin I and II induced an early decrease in cytoplasmic I-kappaB levels followed by nuclear accumulation of NF-kappaB. Using an NF-kappaB luciferase construct this was shown to increase transcriptional activation of NF-kappaB regulated genes. Maximal luciferase expression was seen at the same concentrations of angiotensin I/II as those inducing protein degradation. Total protein degradation induced by both angiotensin I and II was attenuated by resveratrol, which prevented nuclear accumulation of NF-kappaB, confirming that activation of NF-kappaB was responsible for the increased protein degradation. These results suggest that induction of proteasome expression by angiotensin I/II involves a signalling pathway involving PKC and NF-kappaB.

Angiotensin II directly inhibits protein synthesis in murine myotubes

Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been implicated in muscle protein loss in cachexia. To determine whether the Ang I/II system directly inhibits protein synthesis in muscle their effect has been monitored in vitro using murine myotubes as a surrogate model system. Ang I inhibited protein synthesis by 40-50% over the concentration range of 0.05-2.5 microM within 30 min of addition, and the inhibition remained relatively constant over 24 h. The effect was attenuated by co-incubation with the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor imidaprilat (50 microM) suggesting that inhibition of protein synthesis was due to the formation of Ang II. Ang II also inhibited protein synthesis by 40-50% over the concentration range of 0.1-5 microM, and the inhibition also remained relatively constant between 30 min and 24 h after addition. The effect was attenuated by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) (25-100 ng/ml). Thus, Ang I/II have the ability to induce muscle atrophy through inhibition of protein synthesis.

Angiotensin II directly induces muscle protein catabolism through the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway and may play a role in cancer cachexia

The ability of angiotensin I (Ang I) and II (Ang II) to induce directly protein degradation in skeletal muscle has been studied in murine myotubes. Angiotensin I stimulated protein degradation with a parabolic dose–response curve and with a maximal effect between 0.05 and 0.1 μM. The effect was attenuated by coincubation with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor imidaprilat, suggesting that angiotensin I stimulated protein degradation through conversion to Ang II. Angiotensin II also stimulated protein breakdown with a similar dose–response curve, and with a maximal effect between 1 and 2.5 μM. Total protein degradation, induced by both Ang I and Ang II, was attenuated by the proteasome inhibitors lactacystin (5 μM) and MG132 (10 μM), suggesting that the effect was mediated through upregulation of the ubiquitin–proteasome proteolytic pathway. Both Ang I and Ang II stimulated an increased proteasome ‘chymotrypsin-like’ enzyme activity as well as an increase in protein expression of 20S proteasome α-subunits, the 19S subunits MSS1 and p42, at the same concentrations as those inducing protein degradation. The effect of Ang I was attenuated by imidaprilat, confirming that it arose from conversion to Ang II. These results suggest that Ang II stimulates protein degradation in myotubes through induction of the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. Protein degradation induced by Ang II was inhibited by insulin-like growth factor and by the polyunsaturated fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid. These results suggest that Ang II has the potential to cause muscle atrophy through an increase in protein degradation. The highly lipophilic ACE inhibitor imidapril (Vitor™) (30 mg kg⁻¹) attenuated the development of weight loss in mice bearing the MAC16 tumour, suggesting that Ang II may play a role in the development of cachexia in this model.

LC-MS determination and bioavailability study of imidapril hydrochloride after the oral administration of imidapril tablets in human volunteers

The purpose of the present study was to develop a standard protocol for imidapril hydrochloride bioequivalence testing. For this reason, a specific LC-MS method was developed and validated for the determination of imidapril in human plasma. A solid-phase extraction cartridge, Sep-pak C18, was used to extract imidapril and ramipril (an internal standard) from deproteinized plasma. The compounds were separated using a XTerra MS C18 column (3.5 microm, 2.1 x 150 mm) and acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid (67:33, v/v) adjusted to pH 2.4 by 2 mmol/L ammonium formic acid, as mobile phase at 0.3 mL/min. Imidapril was detected as m/z 406 at a retention time of ca. 2.3 min, and ramipril as m/z 417 at ca. 3.6 min. The described method showed acceptable specificity, linearity from 0.5 to 100 ng/mL, precision (expressed as a relative standard deviation of less than 15%), accuracy, and stability. The plasma concentration-versus-time curves of eight healthy male volunteers administered a single dose of imidapril (10 mg), gave an AUC12hr of imidapril of 121.48 +/- 35.81 ng mL(-1) h, and Cmax and Tmax values of 32.59 +/- 9.76 ng/mL and 1.75 +/- 0.27 h. The developed method should be useful for the determination of imidapril in plasma with sufficient sensitivity and specificity in bioequivalence study.

Different Effects of Imidapril and Enalapril on Aminopeptidase P Activity in the Mouse Trachea

It has been reported that the incidence of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-related dry cough is significantly less with the ACE inhibitor imidapril than with the ACE inhibitor enalapril in hypertensive patients. Bradykinin (BK) in the trachea is believed to play some role in this adverse effect. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of imidapril and enalapril on the activity of aminopeptidase P (APP), one of the BK-metabolizing enzymes, in the mouse trachea. Imidapril (0.5 mg/kg) or enalapril (0.5 mg/ kg) was given orally to mice once daily for 7 days. Drug concentrations and APP activity in the trachea were determined at the end of the experiment. Active metabolites (imidaprilat and enalaprilat), but not parent drugs (imidapril and enalapril) were detected in the trachea after a repeated dose for 7 days. Tissue concentrations of imidaprilat and enalaprilat did not significantly differ. The APP activity in the trachea did not significantly change after the 7th dose of imidapril. However, the enzyme activity was significantly inhibited after the final dose of enalapril. Thus, the present study showed that enalapril, but not imidapril inhibited the airway APP activity during repeated dosing. This finding is compatible with previous reports that the incidence of dry cough is lower with imidapril than with enalapril, and with the hypothesis that the dry cough induced by ACE inhibitors may be related to accumulation of BK in the trachea.

Determination of taltirelin, a new stable thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue, in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography turbo-ionspray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, selective and sensitive assay of taltirelin, a novel thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue, in human plasma has been developed. This method is based on a rapid sample preparation and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) turbo-ionspray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS). Analytes were purified from human plasma by SPE cartridge and separated by gradient HPLC. Turbo-ionspray ionization and MS-MS analyses were carried out by PE-Sciex API 3000 tandem mass spectrometer. Taltirelin was separated from its metabolite (acid form) on a semi-micro ODS column in methanol - 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. The selected reaction monitoring by precursor-->product ion combination of m/z 406-->264, was used for determination of taltirelin. The linearity was confirmed in the concentration range of 17-4137 pg/ml in human plasma, and the precision of this assay, expressed as a relative deviation, was less than 9.8% over the entire concentration range with adequate assay accuracy. The results obtained by the HPLC-MS-MS method correlated well with those of the radioimmunoassay method reported previously. Therefore, the HPLC-MS-MS method is useful for the determination of taltirelin with sufficient selectivity and sensitivity on pharmacokinetic studies in human.

Determination of cabergoline by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry: picogram detection via column focusing sample introduction

An electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for low-picogram detection of an ergot alkaloid, cabergoline, in coyote plasma extracts. Cabergoline is under investigation as an abortifacient in canid species. Central to the successful development of this method was the ability to introduce relatively large sample volumes into the mass spectrometer. This was achieved by focusing the analyte on a conventional high-performance liquid chromatography guard column prior to elution into the spectrometer. Volumes up to at least 900 microL could be injected onto the guard column using a 100% aqueous mobile phase. Cabergoline retained on the column was eluted as a discreet band into the mass spectrometer by the rapid addition of methanol (30%) to the mobile phase. As compared to flow injection sample introduction, the ability to inject larger sample volumes led to a greatly lowered detection limit. Using this technique and a modification of a previously reported extraction procedure, cabergoline could be determined in coyote plasma at concentrations as low as 9 pg of cabergoline/mL of plasma.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in the study of the metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics

The application of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) to the study of metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics is reviewed. Original research papers covering the period from 1998 to early 2000 and concerning the use of LC/MS in the study of xenobiotic metabolism in humans and other mammalian species are reviewed. LC/MS interfaces, sample preparation steps, column types, mobile phases and additives, and the type of metabolites detected are summarized and discussed in an attempt to identify the current and future trends in the use of LC/MS for metabolism studies. Applications are listed according to the parent xenobiotic type and include substances used in therapeutics, drug candidates, compounds being evaluated in clinical trials, environmental pollutants, adulterants and naturally occurring substances.