LC-MS/MS method for quantifying aescinate A and B and assessing their relationship with phlebitis.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacokinetics
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Aescinates A and B are compounds with potential therapeutic applications.
• Understanding their pharmacokinetics and potential side effects like phlebitis is crucial for clinical use.
• Cerebral infarction patients often receive intravenous treatments, making plasma concentration monitoring important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a sensitive, robust, and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for quantifying aescinates A and B in human plasma.
• To assess the relationship between phlebitis and in vivo exposure of aescinates A and B in patients.

Main Methods:

• LC-MS/MS analysis using an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column with isocratic elution.
• Protein precipitation of plasma samples with methanol.
• Quantification using multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) in positive electrospray ionization mode.
• Method validation demonstrated high accuracy and precision within a 100-2000 ng/mL calibration range.

Main Results:

• A rapid (5-min run time) and reliable LC-MS/MS method was established and validated for aescinate A and B quantification.
• The method showed excellent linearity (R² > 0.990) and acceptable precision and accuracy (<9.04%).
• Analysis in cerebral infarction patients revealed no statistically significant association between phlebitis incidence/grade and plasma concentrations of aescinates A and B.

Conclusions:

• The developed LC-MS/MS method is suitable for determining plasma aescinate A and B levels.
• In vivo exposure to aescinates A and B does not appear to be a risk factor for phlebitis in cerebral infarction patients.
• Further research may explore other factors influencing phlebitis in this patient population.