A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay has been developed to allow determination of total (i.e. bound and unbound) and free (i.e. unbound) topotecan (TPT) in mouse plasma in the presence and absence of anti-TPT antibodies. The chromatographic analysis was carried out using reversed-phase isocratic elution with a Nova-Pak C18 column (3.9 mm x 150 mm, 4 microm) protected by a Nova-Pak C18 guard column (3.9 mm x 20 mm, 4 microm), where 10 mM KH(2)PO(4)-methanol-triethylamine (72:26:2 (v/v/v), pH 3.5) was used as the mobile phase. Topotecan was quantified with fluorescence detection using an excitation wavelength of 361 nm and an emission wavelength of 527 nm. The retention time for the internal standard, acridine, and TPT were 7.4 and 9.0 min, respectively. The lower limit of quantitation (LOQ) for TPT was determined as 0.02 ng in mouse plasma and mouse plasma ultrafiltrate, corresponding to a concentration of 1 ng/ml in 20 microl mouse plasma. The assay was shown to be linear over a concentration range of 1-500 ng/ml. The recoveries of free and total TPT from spiked mouse plasma were within 10% of theoretical values (assessed at 1, 20 and 500 ng/ml). The validated HPLC assay was applied to evaluate TPT pharmacokinetics following administration of TPT to Swiss Webster mice and to hyperimmunized and control BALB/c mice. The assay has been shown to be capable for measuring total and free TPT in mouse plasma with high sensitivity and will allow the testing of the effect of anti-TPT antibodies on the disposition of TPT.