Determination of deoxyspergualin by gas chromatography-selected-ion monitoring

A gas chromatographic-selected-ion monitoring method was developed for the sensitive and specific determination of deoxyspergualin in dog plasma using a capillary column and a C8-amide homologue of deoxyspergualin as an internal standard. Extraction and purification of deoxyspergualin from its constituents, 7-guanidinoheptanamide and glyoxylylspermidine, and its possible metabolites was achieved by using CM-Sephadex C-25 column chromatography with stepwise elution with sodium chloride solution. Treatment of deoxyspergualin with acetylacetone resulted in the formation of the volatile pyrimidine derivative of 7-guanidinoheptanamide accompanying hydrolytic cleavage in the alpha-hydroxyglycine moiety of deoxyspergualin. Deoxyspergualin could be determined in a concentration of 10 ng/ml in plasma. The method was applied to the determination of deoxyspergualin in plasma during and after intravenous infusion into dogs.