High-performance liquid chromatographic assay of the X-ray contrast agent iopiperidol in plasma and urine of rats and humans

Abstract Iopiperidol is a non ionic iodinated compound currently under evaluation as a potential contrast medium with anticoagulant property for radiological examinations. An HPLC method for assaying iopiperidol in plasma and urine of rats and humans is described. The analysis is based on the reversed-phase chromatographic separation of iopiperidol and the internal standard (iopamidol) from the endogenous components of the biological fluids, and their detection by UV absorption at 244 nm. The selectivity of the method was satisfactory. The mean absolute recovery was greater than 80%. The precision and accuracy of the analytical methods were in the range 0.3 to 3.3 and –8.5 to +11%, respectively. The detection limits of iopiperidol in plasma (0.1 ml) and urine (0.25 ml) were 0.2 and 0.4 μg/ml, respectively.