Analysis of platinum species originating from cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) in human and rat plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric detection.

The applicability of reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography with on-line inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric detection was investigated for the analysis of cisplatin, its hydrolysis products and two methionine-platinum complexes in aqueous solutions. The detector response for cisplatin was linear over three orders of magnitude. The detection limit was found to be 3.5 ng, corresponding to a concentration detection limit of 35 ng/ml. The ion-pair system developed was applied to the analysis of (bio)transformation products originating from cisplatin in human and rat plasma in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, a number of platinum-containing species are formed, two of which show the same retention as the mono- and diaqua hydrolysis products of cisplatin. Preliminary results for in vivo experiments indicate cisplatin to be the predominant species in rat plasma.