Determination of plasma protein binding of propafenone in rats, dogs and humans by highly sensitive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A highly sensitive method for the determination of propafenone in plasma has been established using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with the deuterium-labelled compound as an internal standard. Plasma levels as low as 1 ng/ml were measured using 0.5-ml plasma samples. Plasma protein binding of the drug in rats, dogs and humans in vitro and in vivo was determined by the proposed method. About 90% of the drug was bound to the plasma protein in all species in vitro (20-500 ng/ml) and 69-88% in rats, 90-95% in dogs and 77-89% in humans after oral administration of the drug at doses of 50 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 200 mg per person, respectively.