Simplified procedures for the determination of fenoldopam and its metabolites in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection: comparison of manual and robotic sample preparation methods.

Quantitative analytical methods, based on high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, were developed for fenoldopam and its metabolites in human plasma. Two extraction methods, a liquid-liquid extraction method for fenoldopam and its methoxy metabolites and a liquid-solid extraction procedure for the sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of fenoldopam were developed. The extractions can either be performed manually or by robot. The limit of detection for fenoldopam, its sulfate and methoxy metabolites was 0.025, 2 and 0.5 ng/ml, respectively, at a signal to noise ratio of 4. The intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation for both manual and robotic extraction procedures were comparable. These methods were suitably selective and sensitive for pharmacokinetic and metabolic studies of fenoldopam.