An Improved HPLC Method for the Determination of Furosemide in Plasma and Urine

Abstract

A sensitive HPLC method with minimal sample preparation and good reproducibility for the determination of furosemide in plasma and urine is described. Acidified plasma samples were extracted using CH₂Cl₂ containing desmethylnaproxen as internal standard (IS). Fresh urine samples were incubated with β-gluc-uronidase for 15 minutes and then treated with CH₃CN containing IS.

Chromatography was performed on a C18 column with 10 mcl sample injection, Mobile phases were: a) for plasma: 0.01 M NaH₂PO₄, pH 3.5 - CH₃OH (65:35), and b) for urine: acetic acid, pH 3.5 - CHS3OH (60:40) at 3 ml/min and fluorescence detection at Ex 235/Em 389 nm. The plasma standard curve was linear from 0.01 to 15.0 mcg/ml and the urine from 0.5 to 200.0 mcg/ml. The within run CV's were 3,2% at 0.74 mcg/ml plasma and 2.0% at 10.7 mcg/ml urine. Recovery from plasma was 69.9% at 2.0 mcg/ml and 98.6% from urine at 5.0 mcg/ml. The stability of furosemide and its glucuronide were studied. Both methods have been applied to the analysis of plasma and urine samples obtained from human volunteers.