OBJECTIVETo establish a HPLC method for determining acetoside in rat plasma and to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of acetoside in rats.

METHODSix rats were orally administered with 150 mg x kg(-1) acetoside and their blood samples were collected at different time points. The plasma concentration of acetoside was determined by reserved HPLC, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0 software.

RESULTThe regression equation of acetoside in rats plasma was Y = 3.509 8X-0.096 8 (r = 0.996 8), which showed a good linear relation at 0.125-2.5 mg x L(-1). The method showed a recovery of more than 85%, and both inter-day and intra-day RSDs were less than 15%. After the oral administration of 150 mg x kg(-1) acetoside, the concentration-time curves of acetoside were expressed in a open two-compartment model. The main pharmacokinetics parameters of T(max), C(max), t(1/2alpha), t(1/2beta), AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), CL/F, V/F and K(a) were respectively 0.36 h, 1.126 mg x L(-1), 0.759, 4.842 h, 3.134, 3.766 mg x h x L(-), 87.089 L x h(t) x kg(-1), 207.704 L x kg(-1) and 6.345 h(-1) respectively.

CONCLUSIONIt is first time to establish such a HPLC method to determine the concentration of acetoside in plasma. The method is so highly specified and sensitive that it can ble used in quantitative analysis in vivo on acetoside.