A high-performance liquid chromatographic microassay employing a liquid-solid extraction technique for etintidine in plasma.

This paper describes a new, rapid solid extraction method for the determination of etintidine in plasma. The method employs a semiautomatic sample preparation system. Plasma samples and the internal standard (cimetidine) were applied onto octyl-bonded silica extraction columns. The extraction columns were then subjected to Tris buffer and water wash and were subsequently loaded onto an automatic sample injection system. The contents of the extraction columns were eluted on-line with a mobile phase of acetonitrile:methanol:0.1% ammonium hydroxide (85:10:5, by volume) onto a silica analytical column and detected by UV absorption at 229 nm. The chromatographic condition separates etintidine from some of its metabolites and other endogenous components in plasma. The detection limit for etintidine was 0.02-0.05 microgram/ml when 0.2 ml of plasma was used. This method has been used for the determination of plasma etintidine levels in humans and mice after oral administration of etintidine and was found to be suitable for pharmacokinetic/bioavailability studies of etintidine in humans and animals. The method can also be used for the quantitative determination of cimetidine and certain metabolites of etintidine.