Assays were developed for determination of DE-310, a carboxymethyldextran polyalcohol conjugate of the topoisomerase I inhibitor DX-8951 (exatecan) and two enzymatic products (i.e. glycyl-DX-8951 and unconjugated DX-8951) in human whole blood, erythrocytes and saliva. Sample pretreatment involved a single protein-precipitation step, followed by a thermolysin-mediated deconjugation for the parent molecule. Separation of the compounds was achieved on an Inertsil ODS-80A column (150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d.; 5 microm PS), using isocratic elution. The column effluent was monitored at excitation and emission wavelengths of 375 and 445 nm, respectively. Validation results indicated that the methods are accurate and precise at lower limits of quantitation of 0.5-6.9 ng/ml. The methods were used to study the blood distribution and salivary concentrations in patients receiving DE-310.