O-glucuronidation, a newly identified metabolic pathway for topotecan and N-desmethyl topotecan.

During topotecan analysis of clinical urine samples, an additional peak eluting just after the solvent front was observed. This potential metabolite was isolated by chromatographic methods. Mass spectrometry data along with chromatographic retention data and fluorescence characteristics showed that the isolated fractions contained two compounds, i.e. topotecan-O-glucuronide and N-desmethyl topotecan-O-glucuronide. The concentrations of the metabolites in human urine were relatively low. When topotecan was given as a 30 min infusion at a dosage of 1.5 mg/m2 daily for five consecutive days every 3 weeks, the maximal metabolite concentrations in a 24 h urine sample were approximately 10% of topotecan-O-glucuronide and 3.5% of N-desmethyl topotecan-O-glucuronide with respect to the concentration of topotecan in the urine. This is the first report demonstrating that glucuronide metabolites of topotecan are present in the urine of treated patients.