High performance liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of aripiprazole with ultraviolet detection in rat plasma and brain: Application to the pharmacokinetic study

High performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods were validated for the determination of aripiprazole (OPC-14597, Abilify™) in rat plasma and brain. Separation was by Nova-pak phenyl column; flow rate, 1.0 ml/min; mobile phase, acetonitrile–methanol–20 mM sodium sulfate–acetic acid (27:25:48:1, v/v/v/v); UV detection at 254 nm. Reproducibility in plasma and brain showed excellent precision (within 7.8 and 10.6%) and accuracy (96.0–102.4% and 99.0–108.7%) with calibration curve ranges 10.0–2000 ng/ml and 30.0–6000 ng/g, respectively. Validated HPLC methods were successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study of aripiprazole in rats, demonstrating brain concentrations after oral administration five times higher than plasma concentrations.