Anodic behavior of the antineoplastic agent amethopterin at a mercury electrode and its determination in body fluids by liquid chromatography with indirect anodic polarographic detection

Amethopterin was anodically electroactive on Hg due to a depolarization effect arising from the formation of a sparingly sol. mercury complex. High-performance liq. chromatog. with anodic polarog. detection at +0.19 V vs. Ag-AgCl was employed for the detn. of the drug in body fluids. Detector response was linear in the range 5-1000 ng on column. A detection limit of 1.5 M amethopterin in serum was achieved. The within-day and day-to-day coeff. of variation at the 10 g/mL level were 1.5 and 3.7%, resp.