Rapid and sensitive ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the novel anticancer agent PR-104 and its major metabolites in human plasma: Application to a pharmacokinetic study

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2009 Oct 1;877(27):3181-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2009.08.009. Epub 2009 Aug 13.

Abstract

PR-104 is a dinitrobenzamide mustard currently in clinical trial as a hypoxia-activated prodrug. It is converted systemically to the corresponding alcohol, PR-104A, which is activated by nitroreduction to the hydroxylamine (PR-104H) and amine (PR-104M). PR-104A is also metabolised to the O-glucuronide (PR-104G), and by oxidative debromoethylation to the semi-mustard PR-104S. We now report a validated ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of these metabolites in human plasma. Plasma proteins were precipitated with acidified methanol and the supernatant diluted into water. Aliquots were analysed by UHPLC-MS/MS using a Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 Rapid Resolution HT (50mmx2.1mm, 1.8microm) column and gradient of acetonitrile and 0.01% formic acid with a 6min run time. The method had a linear range of 0.1-50microM for PR-104, PR-104A and PR-104G, 0.05-5microM for PR-104H, 0.025-2.5microM for PR-104M and 0.01-1microM for PR-104S. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were within 14%. The extraction recovery of all analytes was over 87%. The validated method was illustrated by using it to study the pharmacokinetics of PR-104 and its metabolites in a human patient.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / blood*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Biotransformation
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Drug Stability
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Least-Squares Analysis
  • Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / blood*
  • Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / pharmacokinetics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Nitrogen Mustard Compounds
  • PR-104