[Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of atractylenolide III in rats].

Objective: [corrected] To establish an HPLC method for the analysis of pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of atractylenolide III in rats.
Methods: The biological samples were extracted with ether. The chromatographic conditions were as follows: Hypersil ODS column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) was used. The mobile phase was methnol/warter (67 : 33) with a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min under the column temperature of 25 degrees C, and the detection wavelength was set at 220 nm.
Results: The recovery of the method was 85.12% (RSD = 5.57%). The linear range was 0.2 microg/ml - 18.5 microg/ml (r = 0.9996) in rat plasma. The Lowest Limit of detection was 0.10 microg/ ml (S/N > 3). The within-day and between-day precision were from 0.98% to 6.19% and 12.95% to 15.48%, respectively. After oral administration of atractylenolide III (100 mg/kg), the concentration-time profiles of atractylenonlide III fit a two compartment model. In main effect tissues, the atractylenolide III concentration was followed as in order C(lung) > C(cerebellum) > C(heart) > C(cerebrum), and that was C(spleen) > C(liver) > C(kidney) in eliminated tissues.
Conclusion: The method is accurate, stable and reliable, and can be used for the investigation of atractylenolide III in plasma and tissues of rats.