Quantitative determination of the calcium channel antagonists amlodipine, lercanidipine, nitrendipine, felodipine, and lacidipine in human plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method has been developed and validated for the quantification of the five 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists amlodipine, lercanidipine, nitrendipine, felodipine, and lacidipine in human plasma. Sample preparation involved solid-phase extraction on RP-C18 cartridges with good recovery for all the compounds. Sample analysis was performed on a Luna RP-C18 analytical column (15 mm x 2 mm ID, 3.0 microm) with a Sciex API 365 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with turboionspray source and multiple reaction monitoring. The method is sensitive with a limit of detection below 1 ng/mL for each drug in plasma, with good linearity (r(2) > 0.998), over the therapeutic concentration range (1 to 40 ng/mL). All the validation data, such as accuracy, precision, and interday repeatability, were within the required limits. The method can be used for pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring of the compounds in humans.