Analysis of drugs by pyrolysis. I. Selected ion monitoring combined with a pyrolysis method for the determination of carpronium chloride in biological samples.
In order to establish an analytical method for carpronium chloride, a parasympathomimetic agent, the pyrolysis reaction of carpronium chloride was examined in a g.c.m.s. system, which revealed that gamma-butyrolactone was produced directly from the drug as the main pyrolysis product. In the case of conversion of [2,2,3,3-2H4]carpronium chloride into the deuterated gamma-butyrolactone, 2H/1H scrambling was observed and confirmed to occur during the pyrolysis process of the deuterated compound. The proportion of gamma-[2H4]butyrolactone among the pyrolysis products was almost independent of the operating conditions, so [2,2,3,3-2H4]carpronium chloride was of practical use as an internal standard for selected ion monitoring. By incorporation of the pyrolysis reaction of carpronium chloride with selected ion monitoring and the use of [2,2,3,3-2H4]carpronium chloride as an internal standard, a rapid, sensitive and selective method was devised for the determination of the drug in biological samples. The method was utilized successfully for the biopharmaceutical studies of carpronium chloride in ma.