The aim of this master’s thesis is to develop and validate an analytical method using reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS), equipped with electrospray for the quantitative bioanalysis of clindamycin (CLI) and its metabolites; clindamycin sulfoxide (CSO) and N-demethyl clindamycin (CDM). The validation process aims to obtain in vitro data from microsomal incubations, essential for developing an in silico physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to improve the understanding of the clinical pharmacology of CLI.
Lincosamides are a class of antibiotics that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. However, there is a limited understanding of certain aspects related to CLI, including resistance mechanisms, optimal dosing, long-term effects, and drug-drug interactions. UHPLC and MS/MS were used because of their improved separation efficiency, sensitivity, and quantification capabilities.
We also developed and evaluated a method for midazolam (MDZ) and 1-OHMDZ, and both validation methods were proven to be linear with a coefficient of determination (R2) surpassing 0.990. The chromatographic run time was approximately 6 minutes, allowing precise, accurate and reliable results meeting the validation criteria. Moreover, the methods demonstrated good selectivity, sensitivity, and suitable limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ). Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was employed, and fragment transitions were calculated for precursor ions.
The metabolism of CLI and MDZ in human liver microsomes (HLM) incubations, which mimics in vivo hepatic metabolism, showed a strong inverse correlation between CLI concentration and CSO formation, confirming the primary metabolic pathway of CLI through S-oxidation mediated by CYP3A4. However, no metabolism of MDZ was observed, possibly due to inactive hepatocytes or other issues during preparation.
In conclusion, the optimised and validated LC-MS/MS methods successfully quantify CLI and MDZ in microsomal incubations. The results provide a clearer understanding of CLI's metabolism, confirming the hypothesis and provide valuable insights for further research. LC-MS/MS is highlighted as a powerful analytical tool in pharmaceutical research, and the optimized methods will contribute to the development of in silico PBPK models and therapeutic drug monitoring.
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