[Determination of carminomycin and its basic metabolite 13-dihydrocarminomycin by a highly efficient liquid chromatographic method with a fluorescent detector].

Carminomycin, an antitumor antibiotic, and 13-dihydrocarminomycin, its main metabolite, were determined in the blood plasma of patients with highly efficient liquid chromatography and a fluorescent detector (lambda ex=492 nm, lambda em=538 nm). The liquid chromatograph manufactured by Spectro-Physics, model SP-8000, with Particyl Column 10/25 was used for the determination. The composition of the mobile phase of acetonitrile--0.1 M H3PO4 was 93:7 by the volume. The mobility speed was 2 ml/min. The retention time of carminomycin, rubomycin (used as the national standard) and dihydrocarminomycin was 6.8, 8 and 10.2 minutes, respectively. All three substances showed symmetrical peaks with high resolution. The early phase kinetics of carminomycin after its intravenous injection to the patients in a dose of 24 mg (18 mg/m2) is satisfactorily described by the diexponential equation. The pharmacokinetic parameters of carminomycin corresponding to the open two-compartmental system are presented. Highly efficient liquid chromatography may be used for the pharmacokinetic description of biotransformation of carminomycin and some other antibiotics of the anthracycline group.