Determination of pentoxifylline and its metabolites in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with...

A simple and reliable method for the determination of pentoxifylline and its main metabolites in human plasma has been developed using high-performance liquid chromatography. After selective solid-phase extraction, pentoxifylline, its metabolites and an internal standard, 7-(2'-chloroethyl)theophylline, were separated on a 5-micron LiChrospher 100 RP-18 column using water-dioxan-acetonitrile (87:6.5:6.5, v/v/v) acidified with acetic acid (0.5%, v/v) as the mobile phase. The analytes were detected at 275 nm. The lowest detectable concentration for all analytes was 25 ng/ml; the recovery was 85%. The assay has been successfully applied to analysis of these compounds in human plasma after administration of an oral dose of 400 mg of pentoxifylline to healthy volunteers.