HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF GANCICLOVIR NUCLEOTIDES IN HUMAN MYOCARDIAL TISSUE

A method for the analysis of ganciclovir nucleotides in myocardial tis sues was developed. The antiviral effect of ganciclovir is attributed to intracellular ganciclovir nucleotides. The procedure is based on pe rchloric acid deproteinization and enzymatic hydrolysis of the gancicl ovir nucleotides to ganciclovir. Then, the parent drug was analyzed on a Hypersil ODS column using potassium dihydrogenphosphate buffer as m obile phase. The mean analytical recovery of ganciclovir from myocardi al tissue was 101 +/- 2% and the detection limit was 2 pmol. The sampl e treatment procedure described is simple and presents a suitable anal ytical tool for the investigation of the ganciclovir nucleotides pool in tissues.