HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF PROPIVERINE AND ITS N-OXIDE IN HUMAN SERUM

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed fo r the determination of propiverine hydrochloride (P4) and its main met abolite, propiverine N-oxide (P4NO) in human serum. P4 has been shown to be efficacious in those patients who have either idiopathic bladder instability, or neurogenic bladder (detrusor hyperflexia) resulting f rom spinal cord injuries. In the present method, the analytes were ext racted from serum(1 ml, pH 8) into methyl tert.-butyl ether. The separ ation was performed on a reversed-phase C-8 (RP-select B) column using phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (30:70, v/v). UV absorption was used fo r measuring the analytes, with a limit of quantitation of about 10 ng/ ml, which is appropriate for pharmacokinetic studies. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science B.V.