Rapid solid‐phase extraction coupled with GC–MS method for the determination of venlafaxine in rat plasma: Application to the drug–drug pharmacokinetic interaction study of venlafaxine combined with fluoxetine

A rapid and sensitive gas chromatography with mass spectrometry method for the determination of venlafaxine in rat plasma has been developed and applied to a drug–drug interaction study of fluoxetine on pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine in rats. Rat plasma was spiked with 2% aqueous ammonia before subjected to preactivated C18 solid-phase extraction columns and eluted with methanol. No endogenous interferences were observed under optimal condition. The calibration curve was linear (R2 = 0.9994) in the range of 10–1000 ng/mL. The quantification limit of venlafaxine in rat plasma was 10 ng/mL. The accuracy was in the range of 85–110%, and the extraction recovery was no less than 50%. Both the intra- and interday precision were 5.0–10.7%. The concentration–time curve showed that plasma concentrations of the coadministration group (group B) were higher than that of single dose group (group A). Both values of Cmax (0.069 mg/L) and AUC0→∞ (0.291 mg h/L) in group B were statistically greater than that of Cmax (0.046 mg/L) and AUC0→∞ (0.181 mg·h/L) in group A (P < 0.05). The results indicated that a significant effect of fluoxetine was shown on the pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine, suggesting that drug–drug interactions are of concern for the treatment of depression with the combined use of venlafaxine and fluoxetine.