Bimodal column switching liquid chromatographic assay of six metabolites of [14C] felodipine in rat urine.

A liquid chromatographic method using bimodal column switching is presented which allows for the separation of six urinary metabolites of [14C] felodipine and their quantification using an on-line radioactivity detector. Evaluation of the chromatographic conditions was performed with non-labelled reference compounds and UV detection. Pre-separation of the metabolites into two groups, one consisting of carboxylic acid metabolites and the other of the hydroxylated analogues, was performed on underivatized silica. The mobile phase used was optimized with respect to pH and the character of quaternary ammonium ion, and was 0.01 M tetrapropylammonium in 5% (v/v) methanol in 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 5.0). Each group was introduced and separated, after band compression, by a gradient of increasing methanol concentration on an octyl-bonded column. The analysis time was 70 min. The method was applied to urine collected from rats (n = 4, 0-24 h) after oral dosing of [14C] felodipine (5 mumol/kg). The urine was analysed with no pre-treatment other than slight dilution. The six metabolites accounted for 58% of the excreted amount (13% of the dose).