Liquid chromatographic retention of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists: an index of lipid solubility.

The in-vitro lipophilicity of nine beta-adrenoceptor antagonists was evaluated based on retention on a reverse-phase C-18 high-pressure liquid chromatographic (hplc) system at physiologic pH. Propranolol was by far the most lipophilic drug, while atenolol and sotolol were the least. Hplc retention was highly correlated (r = 0.92) with octanol: buffer partition coefficient. Thus hplc retention is a rapid and replicable approach to the determination of in-vitro lipophilicity that does not require radioactive drug.