Screening,library-assisted identification and validated quantification of fifteen neuroleptics and three of their metabolites in plasma by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

A liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric assay with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI-LC/MS) is presented for the fast and reliable screening and identification and for the precise and sensitive quantification of 15 neuroleptic (antipsychotic) drugs and three of their relevant metabolites in plasma. It allows confirmation of the diagnosis of a neuroleptic overdose and monitoring of psychiatric patients' compliance. The neuroleptics amisulpride, bromperidol, clozapine, droperidol, flupenthixol, fluphenazine, haloperidol, melperone, olanzapine, perazine, pimozide, risperidone, sulpiride, zotepine and zuclopenthixol and the pharmacologically active metabolites norclozapine, clozapine N-oxide and 9-hydroxyrisperidone were extracted from plasma using solid-phase extraction and were separated on a Merck LiChroCART column with Superspher 60 RP Select B as the stationary phase. Gradient elution was performed using aqueous ammonium formate and acetonitrile. After screening and identification in the scan mode using the authors' new LC/MS library, the neuroleptics were quantified in the selected-ion mode. The quantification assay was fully validated. It was found to be selective and proved to be linear from sub-therapeutic to over therapeutic concentrations for all analytes. The corresponding reference levels are listed. The accuracy and precision data were within the required limits. The analytes were stable in frozen plasma for at least 1 month. The method was successfully applied to several authentic plasma samples from patients treated or intoxicated with various neuroleptics. The validated LC/MS assay has proved to be appropriate for the isolation, separation, screening, identification and quantification of various neuroleptics in plasma for clinical toxicology and therapeutic drug monitoring purposes.     

Structures of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6H-pyrimido[2,1-b]-quinazolin-6-one and its hydrochloride

C₁₁H₁₁N₃O, m.p. 243°C, P2/n,Z=4,a=5.843(2),b=14.241(3),c=11.102(1) Å, =93.30(2)°,R=0.046; C₁₁H₁₁N₃O·HCl·H₂O, Pca2₁,Z=8,a=18.640(2),b=8.894(2),c=14.404(2)Å,R=0.062. The molecules of the free base are in 1H-tautomeric form. N(1)-H...N(11) hydrogen bonds join molecules of the free base into dimers, which enable tautomeric rearrangement (not observed in this study) also in the solid state without any changes in molecular packing. The quinazoline system deviates slightly from planarity and benzene electrons are partially localized at C(7)–C(8) and C(9)–C(10) bonds as seen from their lengths of about 1.375 Å, while other bonds in the benzene ring are at least 0.02 Å longer.     

Structure and molecular properties of (1)-Centbutindole. Comparison with Haloperidol

The structure and conformation of (1)-Centbutindole, a newly marketed neuroleptic compound, has been investigated by X-ray crystallography. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and the non-centrosymmetric space group P2₁ (Z=2) with cell dimensionsa=8.434(6),b=6.620(3),c=18.419(9)Å, and =95.07(6)°. The chain conformation istrans extended. The embedded ³ piperidine ring exists in ahalf-chair conformation whereas the embedded piperazine ring exists in achair conformation. The propylene side chain is equatorial relative to the piperazine. A systematic conformational analysis of centbutindole and of a related molecule, Haloperidol, followed by a Monte Carlo search and a stochastic dynamics simulation, have been performed. Electronic and lipophilic properties have been computed and, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) maps and molecular lipophilicity potential (MLP) maps, have been displayed for two selected conformers satisfying a reported pharmacophore. The two molecules exhibit very similar molecular properties.