Enantioselective analysis of venlafaxine and its major metabolites application to in vitro and in vivo biotransformation studies

Author(s)

Patricia da Fonseca

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2011-09-08

Examining board members

Pierina Sueli Bonato; Anderson Rodrigo Moraes de Oliveira; Regina Vincenzi Oliveira; Rosangela Gonçalves Peccinini; Regina Helena Costa Queiroz

• Advisor: Pierina Sueli Bonato

Abstract

Hollow Fiber-Liquid Phase Microextraction (HF-LPME) is a very interesting technique for sample preparation, since it uses small amounts of organic solvents to extract drugs present in complex matrices. Thus, this technique was employed for the extraction of venlafaxine (VEN) and its metabolites from rat liver microsomal fraction and plasma, aiming the development of methods for the enantioselective analysis of these analytes. These methods were then applied to study the in vitro biotransformation and the kinetic disposition of VEN in rats and humans. VEN is a chiral drug used in the treatment of depression, whose pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties are stereoselective. After the optimization of the HFLPME conditions, recoveries of 12-60% were obtained. The method employed in the in vitro biotransformation study of VEN was developed using a ChiralpaK AD® column, mobile phase consisting of hexane : 2-propanol (95:5, v/v) + 0.025% of diethylamine (DEA) and UV detection. The ChiralpaK AD-H® column and the mobile phase consisting of methanol : ethanol (70:30, v/v) + 0.025% of DEA were employed for the analysis of VEN and its metabolites in plasma. In order to obtain lower quantification limits, mass spectrometry detection was used in this method. The method used for the determination of VEN and its metabolites in rat liver microsomal fraction was linear over the concentration range of 200 to 5000 ng mL-1 whereas the method used for the determination of VEN and its metabolites in plasma was linear in the range of 5 to 500 ng mL-1. The developed methods for the determination of VEN in biological matrices were applied to an in vitro biotransformation study and to kinetic disposition studies in two species (rats and humans). The objective of these studies was to evaluate the correlation of the biotransformation between different species and to compare the results of the in vitro and in vivo studies. The results obtained using rat liver microsomal fraction were similar to those obtained in the rat kinetic disposition study, with more pronounced formation of N-desmethylvenlafaxine (NVEN) and major production of the (-)-(R) enantiomer. Comparing the kinetic disposition studies in rats and humans, the enantioselectivity in the biotransformation of VEN with (-)-(R)-VEN being preferentially biotransformed was observed for both species. However, (-)-(R)-O-desmethylvenlafaxine ((-)-(R)-O-VEN) is preferentially formed in humans whereas the major metabolite in rat plasma is (-)-(R)-N-VEN. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/00678-9 - Enantioselective analysis of venlafaxine and its major metabolites: applications to in vitro and in vivo biotransformation studies.
• Grantee: Patrícia da Fonseca
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate