Improvement and validation of an HPLC method for examining the effects of the MDR1 gene polymorphism on sparfloxacin pharmacokinetics

A rapid, simple, accurate, and precise reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for measuring sparfloxacin in human serum was improved, validated, and applied to determine the influence of polymorphisms in MDR1 (exons 12, 21, and 26) gene on sparfloxacin pharmacokinetics. Sparfloxacin and an internal standard, ciprofloxacin, were extracted from human serum by protein precipitation with dilution and analyzed on a Luna C18 5-μm column in a mobile phase of acetonitrile–0.035 M perchloric acid (28:72, v/v, adjusted to pH 2.0 with 0.015 M triethylamine) and UV detection at 300 nm. This analysis was performed at three different laboratories using the same quality control (QC) samples. The chromatograms showed good resolution, sensitivity, and no interference by human serum. The method showed linear responses over a concentration range of 0.05–2 μg/ml, with correlation coefficients of greater than 0.999 at the three laboratories. Intra- and inter-day assay precision and accuracy fulfilled international requirements. The mean absolute recovery for human serum was 98.8 ± 5.7%. Sparfloxacin in human serum was stable during storage and the assay procedure. The lower limit of quantification using 0.2 ml of serum was 0.05 μg/ml, which was sensitive enough for pharmacokinetic studies. This method was used to study the pharmacokinetics of sparfloxacin in human volunteers, following a single oral administration of sparfloxacin (100 mg) two tablets at three different laboratories. MDR1 polymorphisms did not significantly (P < 0.01) affect the pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC and Cmax) of sparfloxacin.