Development of a sensitive enzyme immunoassay for the detection of phenyl-beta-D-thioglucuronide in human urine

Immunoassays for the measurement of glucuronides in human urine can be a helpful tool for the assessment of human exposure to toxic chemicals. Therefore an enzyme imimunoassay (EIA) for the specific detection of phenyl-beta-D-thioglucuronide was developed. The immunoconjugate was formed by coupling p-aminophenyl-beta-D-thioglucuronide to the carrier protein thyroglobulin leaving an exposed glucuronic acid. The hapten-protein conjugate was adsorbed to gold colloids in order to enhance the immunogenic effect. Rabbits were injected with the immunogold conjugates to raise polyclonal antibodies. The resulting competitive assay showed an inhibition by phenyl-beta-D-thioglucuronide at sample concentrations of 23.0 +/- 1.3 ng/mL (50% B/B0) and a high cross-reactivity to p-aminophenyl-beta-D-thioglucuronide (120%). Little cross-reactivities (< 2%) were observed for potential urinary cross reactants. In addition human urine samples were incubated with beta-glucuronidase in order to investigate the EIA for specific matrix effects. An integration of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and EIA was developed in an attempt to decrease the matrix effects and increase the sensitivity of the overall method. The hyphenated technique HPLC-EIA may be used to monitor human exposure to toxic thiophenol which is excreted by mammals as urinary phenyl thioglucuronide.     

Studies on the metabolism of gomisin A (TJN-101). II. Structure determination of biliary and urinary metabolites in rat

After oral administration of gomisin A (1) to rats, the bile and urine were collected and treated with beta-glucuronidase and arylsulfatase. Seven metabolites, met B (2), met A-III (3), met E (4), met D (5), met F (6), met G (7), and met H (8) were isolated from the bile treated with the enzymes. Eight metabolites 2-8, and met A-II (9) were isolated from the urine treated with the enzymes. A major metabolite 2, and two minor metabolites 3 and 9 were identified as met B, met A-III, and met A-II, respectively, which are oxidative products of 1 formed by rat liver S9 mix. The structures of five new metabolites 4-7, and 8 were determined on the basis of chemical and spectral studies.     

Determination of clenbuterol residues in bovine urine by optical immunobiosensor assay

Clenbuterol (CBL) is an orally active beta2-adrenoceptor agonist which has been used in veterinary medicine as a broncodilator and an agent of uterine relaxation. It has however become better known as a drug used illegally to promote growth in farm animals. A rapid and sensitive biosensor assay was developed to detect CBL residues in bovine urine. The method involved a simple extraction procedure using tert-butyl methyl ether followed by analysis on the biosensor with results obtained against a buffer calibration curve. The assay allowed up to 88 samples to be analyzed per working day, with each cycle on the biosensor taking approximately 7 min to complete. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined as 0.27 ng/mL using 20 EU reference blank urine samples. The intra-assay Sr ranged from 4.7-7.6% for 3 control samples while the interassay Sr ranged from 9.2-12.7%. The recovery was found to be approximately 95%. A series of incurred urine samples were assayed and the results compared by Enzyme immunoassay (EIA), radio-immunoassay (RIA), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Urine samples taken from local abattoirs were also analyzed by the biosensor method and by EIA analysis. The antibody used in the biosensor test exhibited high cross reactivity with at least 7 other beta-agonists allowing detection of these compounds at less than 1 ng/mL in bovine urine.     

Immunobiosensor--an alternative to enzyme immunoassay screening for residues of two sulfonamides in pigs.

A rapid immunoassay using an optical biosensor (BIAcore) for determining the presence of sulfamethazine (SMT) residues in pig bile was developed. The assay was used in a routine screening laboratory alongside a previously described biosensor method for sulfadiazine (SDZ). Sulfonamide bile concentrations, determined by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), have already been shown suitable for use in predicting the extent of sulfonamide accumulation in kidney. The ability of immunobiosensor based bile screening to predict violative tissue residues (greater than the maximum residue limit; MRL) was compared with results achieved using two conventional EIAs for two of these drug residues (SMT and SDZ). Analysis of 2081 samples for both sulphonamide residues, over an 8 month period, showed the false positive prediction rate of biosensor analysis to be 0.14% and 0.34% for SMT and SDZ, respectively, compared with false positive rates of 1.54% and 1.44% by EIA. Biosensor analysis showed no false negative predictions for either SMT or SDZ while EIA showed a false negative prediction rate of 0.14% for SMT and 0.24% for SDZ. The present study has clearly demonstrated that immunobiosensor assays can be developed for veterinary drug residue screening programmes. These methods have the potential for generating faster and more reliable results than conventional immunoassay methods.     

Effects of low-dose dexamethasone and prednisolone long term administration in beef calf: chemical and morphological investigation

An analytical, pharmacokinetic and histopathologic investigation was conducted by two experimental trials on beef cattle in order to determine fate and effects of dexamethasone and prednisolone, administered to distinct cattle groups at low dosage for long periods of time. In trial 1, eighteen Charolaise beef cattle, male, 17-22-months-old, were divided in three groups: to group A (n=6) dexamethasone-21-sodium-phosphate 0.7 mg day(-1) per os for 40 days was administered; group B (n=6) was orally treated with prednisolone 15 mg day(-1) for 30 days, while group C (n=6) served as negative control. Urine was collected at days 0, 7, 15, 25 and 47 from groups A and C, and at days 0, 8, 18 and 42 from group B. In trial 2, sixteen Friesian cattle, male, 10-17-months-old, were randomly divided into two groups: group D (n=8) was administered prednisolone 30 mg day(-1) per os for 35 days, while group K (n=8) served as control. In both trials, the animals were slaughtered after a 6-days drug withdrawal and thymus and livers were collected and properly stored until the analysis was performed. Quantitative determinations of dexamethasone, prednisolone and its main metabolite, prednisone, in urine and liver samples were conducted by HPLC-MS/MS, after the analytical procedure was optimized and fully validated. The method validation included the assessment of specificity, linearity, precision, trueness, robustness, CC(α) and CC(β) values. By a morphological point of view, severe atrophy of thymus parenchyma was observed in group A, together with a significant (P<0.005) reduction of the mean thymus weight (217±94 g), while group B (646±215 g) presented normal thymus features and weights (group C, 415±116 g). Accordingly, no differences were found in trial 2 for groups D (727±275g) and K (642±173 g). Average dexamethasone concentrations in group A urine samples ranged from 1.4 to 3.0 μg L(-1) during the treatment, while no residue was detected in the urine samples collected 6-7 days after the end of the treatment. Low amounts of dexamethasone (<1 μg L(-1)) were detected in liver samples of group A. All average prednisolone concentrations in group B urine samples (sum of conjugate and free form) turned out to be below 1.0 μg L(-1) during the treatment, despite the much higher concentration administered (15-30 mg day(-1)) with respect to dexamethasone in group A (0.7 mg day(-1)). No prednisolone residues were found in the urine and liver samples taken at the slaughterhouse. The absence of any prednisolone residue in the urine samples of control group animals supports the theory that the origin of this molecule is fundamentally exogenous, at least for this cattle category maintained under unstressing conditions. Remarkable findings are represented by the absence of thymus atrophy in the prednisolone treated animals and the extremely low residue concentrations found in urine during the treatment. Both findings reveal that the detection of illegal growth-promoting treatments with this drug is difficult.     

Residues and metabolism of 19-nortestosterone laurate in steers.

The illegal use of 19-nortestosterone (19NT; 4-estren-17 beta-ol-3-one; nandrolone) and its esters in livestock, for growth promotion purposes, has been widely reported in the European Union. The target residues for surveillance of abuse in bovine urine and bile samples are 17 alpha- and 17 beta-19NT, although this choice of target residues is not based on in vivo radiotracer biotransformation data. In this study, four steers were administered [3H2]- and [2H3] 17 beta-19NT laurate (2 mg kg-1 body mass) by intramuscular injection and blood, urine, faeces and bile samples were taken for 30 d until slaughter, after which tissues were sampled for total residue analysis. Total plasma radiolabelled residues reached a maximum of 56.3 +/- 15.9 pmol ml-1 at 36 h and were still appreciable (13.3 +/- 1.6 pmol ml-1) 30 d after treatment. Throughout the study period, total residue concentrations in bile (about 2-16 nmol ml-1), urine and faeces (0.5-3 nmol ml-1 or g-1) were higher than in other tissues sampled at slaughter. At slaughter there was evidence of residue accumulation in pigmented eye tissue (33.1 +/- 6.1 pmol g-1) and in white (13.4 +/- 3.4 pmol g-1) and black hair (28.9 +/- 8.9 pmol g-1). Evaluation of radio-HPLC profiles of urine and bile extracts generally indicated that 19NT and 19NT laurate residues were present in relatively small amounts among a complex mixture of metabolites. GC-MS analysis of glucuronidase-hydrolysed bile extracts indicated that the major metabolites were 5 beta-estrane-3 alpha, 17 alpha-diol, 5 alpha-estrane-3 beta, 17 alpha-diol. 5 alpha-estran-3 alpha-ol-17-one (norandrosterone) and estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17 alpha-diol (17 alpha-estradiol).     

Altered metabolism of bile acids in cholestasis: determination of 1 beta- and 6 alpha-hydroxylated metabolites

Trihydroxy and tetrahydroxy bile acid metabolites substituted at the C-1 or C-6 position were studied using the urine, serum and liver tissue from sixteen patients with cholestatic liver diseases. Following extraction, isolation and hydrolysis, bile acids were converted into the dimethylethylsilyl derivatives and assayed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Five 1 beta-hydroxylated bile acids, viz. 1 beta,3 alpha,12 alpha-trihydroxy-, 1 beta,3 alpha,7 alpha-trihydroxy-, 1 beta,3 alpha,7 beta-trihydroxy-, 1 beta,3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acids and an epimer of the first compound, and two 6 alpha-hydroxylated bile acids, viz. 3 alpha,6 alpha,7 alpha-trihydroxy-, 3 alpha,6 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acids, were completely or partially identified. Large amounts of 1 beta-hydroxylated and 6 alpha-hydroxylated bile acids were found in the urine, whereas only trace amounts were detected in the serum and liver tissue. These findings indicate that altered metabolism, such as 1 beta- or 6 alpha-hydroxylation of bile acids, is enhanced in cholestasis, and that the resulting hydroxylated metabolites are eliminated in the urine.     

Direct determination of codeine-6-glucuronide in plasma and urine using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A sensitive and selective method was developed for the direct determination of codeine-6-glucuronide in plasma and urine using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Codeine-6-glucuronide was synthesised and its purity estimated using acid and enzyme hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of codeine-6-glucuronide by beta-glucuronidase was incomplete and urine reduced the extent of hydrolysis. Codeine-6-glucuronide was recovered from plasma using a solid-phase extraction column and separated on a reversed-phase C18 HPLC column. The assay showed good reproducibility and accuracy (within 10%), and standard curves were linear between 32 and 1600 ng/ml in plasma and between 0.32 and 160 micrograms/ml in urine. The assay has been applied to the study of the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of codeine in patients.     

Determination of chloramphenicol residues in milk, eggs, and tissues by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A new liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method is presented for the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in milk, eggs, chicken muscle and liver, and beef muscle and kidney. CAP is extracted from the samples with acetonitrile and defatted with hexane. The acetonitrile extracts are then evaporated, and residues are reconstituted in 10mM ammonium acetate--acetonitrile mobile phase and injected into the LC system. CAP is determined by reversed-phase chromatography using an Inertsil ODS-2 column and MS detection with negative ion electrospray ionization. Calibration curves were linear between 0.5-5.0 ng/g for all matrixes studied. The relative standard deviations for measurements by this method were generally <12%, and average recoveries ranged from 80 to 120%, depending on the matrix involved. The method detection limits of CAP ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 ng/g, which are comparable to previously reported results. The proposed method is rapid, simple, and specific, allowing a single analyst to easily prepare over 40 samples in a regular working day.     

Enzyme immunoassay screening procedure for the synthetic anabolic estrogens and androgens diethylstilbestrol, nortestosterone, methyltestosterone and trenbolone in bovine urine

Immunoassays are often used for the screening of anabolic residues in edible tissues and excreta (urine, faeces) from inspected animals. Radioimmunoassays have been used for ten years for the determination in biological samples of the main natural and synthetic anabolic estrogens and androgens. In order to simplify the sample preparation and analysis and to reduce the cost, competitive enzyme immunoassays (EIA) were developed for the main synthetic anabolics used illegally in livestock fattening. EIA are based on a competition between the analyte (hormone or metabolite) and the enzyme-labelled hormone for binding to specific antibodies immobilized in wells of a microtitration plate. Two enzymes were evaluated: horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and Bacillus licheniformis beta-lactamase (BLL) using hydrogen peroxide-o-phenylenediamine or benzylpenicillin-starch-iodine as substrates, respectively. The same derivative was used for chemical coupling of the hormone to enzyme (tracer preparation) and to bovine serum albumin to produce specific antibodies in rabbits. Hormone doses that inhibited 50% of the tracer (HRP-hormone) binding to antibody (ID50) were 18, 8, 6 and 11 pg per well for diethylstilbestrol, nortestosterone, methyltestosterone and trenbolone, respectively. These values were lower than those observed in RIA. The reproducibility and accuracy of EIA in urine analysis were similar to those of RIA. Very small amounts of urine were needed (2.5 microliters). This simple method may require less than 2 h. With the BLL-hormone tracer, the enzymatic activity remaining in the wells and hence the hormone content of the sample could be estimated with the naked eye using benzylpenicillin-starch-iodine as substrate.     

A Sensitive and Selective LC-MS Method for the Determination of Lurasidone in Rat Plasma,Bile, and Urine

A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) assay was developed and validated for the quantification of lurasidone, an atypical antipsychotic drug, in rat plasma, bile, and urine. Rat plasma, bile, or urine samples were processed by liquid–liquid extraction and injected onto an LC-MS system for the quantification of lurasidone and ziprasidone (an internal standard). Lurasidone and ziprasidone were separated from endogenous substances using a Gemini C6-Phenyl column with mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1 % formic acid (80:20, v/v) as the mobile phase. Quantification was performed using the selected ion monitoring mode at m/z 493 for lurasidone and m/z 413 for the IS. The detector response was specific and linear for lurasidone in the concentration range 5–5,000 ng mL⁻¹ The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision of the method were determined to be within the acceptable criteria for assay validation guidelines. In addition, lurasidone was stable under a variety of processing and handling conditions. Lurasidone concentrations could be readily measured in rat plasma, bile, and urine samples up to 24 h after an intravenous or oral administration, suggesting that the assay can be used in pharmacokinetic studies of lurasidone in rats.

     

气相色谱-氮磷检测法检测尿中劳拉西泮

 报道了尿中劳拉西泮的气相色谱 氮磷检测器的检测方法。检测时以 2 羟乙基氟西泮为内标 ,用 β 葡萄糖醛酸苷酶水解后于碱性条件下用乙醚萃取 ,将萃取液浓缩后进行检测。劳拉西泮的萃取率 (mean±SD)为 ( 83 4±3 1) % ,检出限为 5 μg/L。萃取物用N ,O 双 (三甲硅烷基 )三氟乙酰胺 (BSTFA)衍生化后进行三甲基硅烷 (TMS)衍生物检测。     

Bicarbonate as an interference in B. stearothermophilus assays.

The screening analysis of antibiotic residues in meat products is readily accomplished by a suite of bacterial inhibition assays. Inhibition of B. stearothermophilus is a standard assay noted for its sensitivity to penicillins. In New Zealand, a test kidney from slaughtered animals is accompanied by a urine sample. Generally, penicillins and tetracyclines are both richer in the urine sample, which is applied directly to wells cut in bacterially seeded agar plates. An interference in the assay for B. stearothermophilus has been traced to excessive amounts of bicarbonate in the urine. It is the bicarbonate, not the pH nor the ionic strength that causes the problem. Removal of the bicarbonate was by mild acetic acid treatment to pH 5.5 and vortex mixing to de-gas carbon dioxide. This resulted in complete eradication of the interference without affecting the ability to detect penicillin. The pH change was readily monitored by the indicator bromcresol purple and no complex equipment was needed.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of diastereomeric glutathione conjugates and further derivatives of alpha-bromoisovalerylurea in rat bile and urine by electrochemically generated bromine

To study the glutathione conjugation of alpha-bromoisovalerylurea in the rat in vivo, a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic assay of the thioether metabolites in bile and urine was developed. Since alpha-bromoisovalerylurea has a chiral centre, two diastereomeric glutathione conjugates (in bile) and two diastereomeric mercapturates (in urine) can be expected. The separation characteristics of these metabolites and the corresponding cysteine conjugates were investigated. Whereas all thioether metabolites could be separated in one run, optimal separation of the diastereomers required different mobile phases for the glutathione conjugates (in bile) and the mercapturates (in urine). The glutathione conjugates were analysed with the ion-pairing agent sodium decanesulphonate in the mobile phase, but the mercapturates were analysed without an ion-pair-forming agent. For detection, on-line generation of a constant bromine level (100%) was used; bromine-reactive compounds result in a decrease of the amperometric response from the 100% baseline. This technique could be used in continuous automated operation and required little clean-up of the sample. Thus, the diastereomeric glutathione conjugates and mercapturates were quantified in rat bile and urine samples, respectively, by direct injection of the (centrifuged and diluted) samples on the column. The limit of determination of the respective metabolites was 9 and 2.6 ng in bile and urine, respectively. Incubation mixtures of alpha-bromoisovalerylurea with a rat liver cytosolic fraction or with isolated rat hepatocytes were chromatographed after deproteinization with a double volume of methanol. The limit of determination of the diastereomeric glutathione conjugates in the deproteinized incubation samples was 2.0 ng.     

Liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometric analysis of incurred ractopamine residues in livestock tissues

Ractopamine HCl is a beta-adrenergic agonist (beta-agonist) recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but not other governmental agencies, for use in finishing swine. For these reasons, it was important to develop and validate mass spectrometric methods for the detection and confirmation of ractopamine residues in livestock marker tissues. Incurred tissues in cattle, sheep, turkeys, and ducks were generated during 7-day ractopamine feeding (20 ppm in diets) periods. Disposition of ractopamine residues in liver and pigmented retinal epithelium was determined in animals slaughtered with withdrawal periods of 0, 3, and 7 days. Ractopamine residues, purified using solid-phase extraction, were measured using liquid chromatography (LC) and electrospray with detection by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in the multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM) mode. Total ractopamine residues (parent ractopamine + hydrolyzed conjugates) in liver were detected in all species on withdrawal day 0 (2-97 ppb) and were greatly diminished in all species by withdrawal day 7 (<1 ppb). Bovine and ovine retina had lower levels of ractopamine (0.5-3 ppb) than liver, and occular residues increased with withdrawal time, suggesting redistribution into this tissue. Lower limits of quantification were found to be approximately 0.1 ppb in liver and retina. Incurred ractopamine residues were confirmed by the precise and accurate agreement of MRM intensity ratios of diagnostic fragment ions (m/z 284, 164, and 121) from the protonated molecule between ractopamine residues in incurred samples and an authentic ractopamine standard. The limits of confirmation in liver and retina using recognized acceptance criteria were below 1 ppb. The high sensitivity and specificity for measurement and confirmation of ractopamine residues suggests this method will be applicable for regulatory residue surveillance programs.     

Simplified determination of lorazepam and oxazepam in biological fluids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Lorazepam and oxazepam in plasma and urine were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Oxazepam was used as an internal standard in the assay of lorazepam and vice versa. After removal of interfering substances with n-hexane, the drugs were extracted with benzene and converted to N1,O3-bistrimethylsilyl derivatives. Glucuronide forms of the drugs were extracted after hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase. A common fragment ion at m/e 429 was used to monitor the two drugs. The sensitivity was 2 ng/ml for both drugs, which was sufficient to determine plasma and urine concentrations after therapeutic doses to humans.     

Comparative analytical quantitation of clenbuterol in biological matrices using GC-MS and EIA

A simple and sensitive procedure utilizing GC-MS for the identification and quantitation of clenbuterol in biofluids and tissues is described. This improved method utilizes trimethylboroxine for the derivatization of clenbuterol, requires only 1 mL/g of biological sample, and most importantly does not require an extra cleaning step for urine specimens prior to extraction. Linear quantitative response curves have been generated for derivatized clenbuterol over a concentration range of 5-200 ng/mL. The extraction efficiency at four representative points of the standard curve exceeded 90% in both specimen types (plasma and urine). Linear regression analyses of the standard curve in both specimen types exhibited correlation coefficients ranging from 0.997 to 1.000. The Limit of detection (LOD) and Limit of quantitation (LOQ) values for plasma specimens were determined to be 0.5 and 1.5 ng/mL respectively. For urine specimens, LOD and LOQ values were 0.2 and 0.7 ng/microL respectively. Percentage recoveries ranged from 91 to 95% for urine and 89 to 101% for plasma. Precision and accuracy (within-run and between-run) studies reflected a high level of reliability and reproducibility of the method. In addition to its reliability, sensitivity and simplicity, this modified procedure is more efficient and cost effective, requiring less time, only 1 mL of sample, and minimal amounts of extraction solvents. The applicability of the method for the detection and quantitation of clenbuterol in biological tissues of rats treated with the drug was demonstrated successfully. For comparative analysis of clenbuterol in plasma and liver samples, both GC-MS and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods are found to be suitable. Due to potential antibody-cross reactivity with EIA, the GC-MS method is the method of choice for most samples because of its specificity. However, the EIA method is considered the method of choice for analysis of clenbuterol found in concentrations below the limits of quantitation by GC-MS due to its sensitivity.     

Simultaneous measurement of ethosuximide and phenobarbital in brain tissue, serum and urine by HPLC

A simple rapid method for simultaneous ethosuximide and phenobarbital assay in brain tissue, serum and urine has been developed. Extraction of samples from brain tissue and serum were performed with dichloromethane at low pH in the presence of an excess of ammonium sulfate. Glucuronide conjugates in urine samples were hydrolyzed by enzymatic cleavage with beta-glucuronidase and then extracted with dichloromethane. The extracts were analyzed using a Spherisorb 5 ODS column and a mixture of acetonitrile, methanol and phosphate buffer (21:24:55, v/v) as eluent. No interference was encountered and the method is both precise and reproducible.     

Distribution of trenbolone residues in liver and various muscle groups of heifers that received multiple implants at the recommended site of application

Twenty heifers which were each administered 3 or 4 implants containing trenbolone acetate were slaughtered at 30 days post-implantation. Liquid chromatographic analyses were conducted on muscle collected from the rump, loin, shoulder, and neck, and on the liver of each animal. Residues present in liver were primarily 17alpha-trenbolone, and the residues found in the various muscle samples were primarily 17beta-trenbolone. The mean concentration of 17alpha-trenbolone in liver was 4.3 +/- 2.3 ng/g; the mean concentration of 17beta-trenbolone in muscle tissues was < 0.4 ng/g. There was a small but statistically significant effect of the number of implants used on the mean concentration of residues in loin muscles; animals with 3 trenbolone implants had higher mean residue concentrations than animals with 4 trenbolone implants. This suggests that, though the impact of implant numbers on the mean concentration of residues in muscle tissues is negligible relative to currently generally accepted maximum residue levels, mechanisms may exist for selective distribution and retention of residues within different muscle groups.     

Determination of tazobactam and piperacillin in human plasma, serum, bile and urine by gradient elution reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A gradient elution high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the analysis of the beta-lactamase inhibitor tazobactam (YTR-830H) and a semi-synthetic parenteral penicillin, piperacillin, in human plasma, serum, bile and urine. The assay for plasma, serum and bile involves deproteinization with acetonitrile and the removal of lipids with dichloromethane; urine is diluted with buffer. Separation and quantitation are achieved using a mobile phase based on ion-suppression chromatography on a C18 reversed-phase column with ultraviolet detection at 220 nm. The limit of quantitation for both compounds is 1.0 microgram/ml in plasma, serum and bile using a 0.2-ml sample and 50.0 micrograms/ml in urine using a 0.1-ml sample. The method has been validated by preparing and analyzing a series of fortified samples (range 1.0-200 micrograms/ml for each compound in plasma, serum and bile and 50.0-10,000 micrograms/ml for each compound in urine). Excellent linearity, accuracy, precision and recovery were obtained. The method was not interfered with by other endogenous components, nor by other commonly administered antibiotics such as amoxicillin, mezlocillin, cefometazole and cefotaxime. The assay has been successfully applied to the analysis of samples from pharmacokinetic studies in man and animals.