High-performance liquid chromatographic method for guanylhydrazone compounds.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for a series of aromatic guanylhydrazones that have demonstrated therapeutic potential as anti-inflammatory agents. The compounds were separated using octadecyl or diisopropyloctyl reversed-phase columns, with an acetonitrile gradient in water containing heptane sulfonate, tetramethylammonium chloride, and phosphoric acid. The method was used to reliably quantify levels of analyte as low as 785 ng/ml, and the detector response was linear to at least 50 micrograms/ml using a 100 microliters injection volume. The assay system was used to determine the basic pharmacokinetics of a lead compound, CNI-1493, from serum concentrations following a single intravenous injection in rats.