Detection of C677T mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography

In this paper, we described an assay for the detection of the C677T mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). The conditions for DHPLC analysis were systematically investigated based on a general HPLC instrument (Prostar VARIAN). A 225 bp DNA fragment covering the 677 site of MTHFR gene was amplified by PCR technology using the purified DNA from whole blood or whole blood as template DNA. PCR products were directly injected without the need for purification. The C677T mutation could be clearly distinguished by DHPLC technology. Our data demonstrated that DHPLC was a powerful and alternative tool for detection of genetic variants and single-nucleotide polymorphisms to electrophoresis technology.     

全血直接扩增结合焦磷酸测序法测定亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶基因多态性

亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶基因677C>T和1298A>C两个位点的多态性与临床常用抗肿瘤药物甲氨喋呤及氟尿嘧啶的作用密切相关,对这两个位点多态性的检测能指导临床合理用药。为进一步缩短检测时间,降低检测成本,本研究建立了基于全血直接PCR的焦测序检测方法,采用"HpH Buffer"直接扩增全血模板,仅需1μL全血样本即可对两个位点进行高效扩增。扩增产物经碱变性法制备单链模板后进行焦磷酸测序,经过条件优化,仅需5μL扩增产物和1μL微球即可完成高灵敏的焦测序反应。为验证方法的准确性,检测了12例临床样本,均能正确检测两个位点的基因多态性。本研究为临床基因多态性检测提供了一种操作简便,耗时短,成本低,准确度高的方法,本方法可用于指导甲氨喋呤和5-氟尿嘧啶的个体化用药。     

Fabrication of PDMS/glass microchips by twofold replication of PDMS and its application in genetic analysis

In this paper, we describe a simple method for fabrication of high quality poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/glass microchip by twofold replica molding of PDMS. This technique first served to transfer the negative microchannels from the glass template to the PDMS substrate as a master, and then this PDMS master with positive microchannels was used to replicate the PDMS replica with negative microchannels. Finally, the PDMS replica was bound to a glass sheet by UV radiation. The fabricated microchips were successfully applied for the detection of C677T mutation from the human methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene.     

Genotyping of two single nucleotide polymorphisms in 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase by multiplex polymerase chain reaction and capillary electrophoresis

Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, A1298C and C677T, were widely considered to be related with various neoplasia disorders. We established a simple and effective capillary electrophoresis (CE) method for detection of two SNPs in MTHFR gene simultaneously. DNA samples were amplified by multiplex PCR with universal fluorescence-labeled primer and analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)-CE method. The CE method was performed using 1.5% hydroxyethyl cellulose in 1× TBE buffer containing 1 M urea. The PCR products after SSCP procedure were electrokinetically injected at −10 kV, 30 s. Separation voltage was −6 kV and the temperature was set at 20 °C. The optimal SSCP-CE method was applied to detect two polymorphisms in MTHFR gene of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients. Genotyping results were evaluated in terms of relationships between outcomes for ADHD patients after ALL chemotherapy and ALL disease. The SSCP-CE method and multiplex PCR with universal fluorescence primer were used as the fast technique for screening two SNPs in MTHFR gene, A1298C and C677T. The genotyping data were coincident with DNA sequencing. This SSCP-CE method was found feasible for detecting mutation of MTHFR gene in populations.     

Genetic mutation analysis by CE with LIF detection using inverse-flow derivatization of DNA fragments

Inverse-flow derivatization is a novel approach to obtain fluorescent DNA derivatives in DNA analysis based on CE with LIF detection. In the present work, we want to explore the feasibility of the application of this method into the mutation detection based on constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) and SSCP analysis. The DNA fragments were first amplified by PCR using a pair of common primers without fluorescent label, and then the mutations were determined by CDCE or SSCP analysis based on CE-LIF with inverse-flow derivatization of DNA fragments. The experimental conditions were investigated systematically, and different labeling modes including inverse-flow derivatization, on-column derivatization and fluorescent labeled primer technique were compared. The inverse-flow derivatization was successfully used in the detection of C677T mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene by CDCE or SSCP analysis. Our preliminary results demonstrate that inverse-flow derivatization is very simple, inexpensive and sensitive and well suitable for the genetic analysis in clinical diagnosis.     

The influence of MTHFR C677T polymorphism in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Some factors have been associated with the etiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), among them the Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of MTHFR C677T polymorphism in CLL. A case‐control study was conducted with 219 individuals from Brazilian central population. MTHFR C677T polymorphism was determined through PCR‐RFLP followed by PAGE. The T allele frequence was higher in patients diagnosed with CLL than healthy subjects. However, when stratified by gender, the TT genotype was exclusively found in men diagnosed with CLL (p < 0.05). Adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age was significantly linked to CLL predisposition (odds ratio = 1.08; p < 0.001). Studies evaluating the influence of genetic factors may provide insights on susceptibility for CLL.     

Optimization of microwave‐assisted extraction followed by RP‐HPLC for the simultaneous determination of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in the fruits of Chaenomeles sinensis

An optimized microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE) method and an efficient HPLC analysis method were developed for fast extraction and simultaneous determination of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in the fruit of Chaenomeles sinensis. The open vessel MAE process was optimized by using a central composite experimental design. The optimal conditions identified were microwave power 600 W, temperature 52°C, solvent to material ratio 32 mL/g and extraction time 7 min. The results showed that MAE is a more rapid extraction method with higher yield and lower solvent consumption. The HPLC–photodiode array detection analysis method was validated to have good linearity, precision, reproduction and accuracy. Compared with conventional extraction and analysis methods, MAE–HPLC–photodiode array detection is a faster, convenient and appropriate method for determination of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in the fruits of C. sinensis.     

Microwave‐assisted extraction followed by RP‐HPLC for the simultaneous extraction and determination of forsythiaside A,rutin, and phillyrin in the fruits of Forsythia suspensa

An optimized microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE) method and RP‐HPLC method were developed for the simultaneous extraction and determination of rutin, forsythiaside A, and phillyrin in the fruits of Forsythia suspensa. The key parameters of the open‐vessel MAE process were optimized. A mixed solvent of methanol and water (70:30, v/v) was most suitable for the simultaneous extraction of the three components. The sample was soaked for 10 min before extraction. The optimized conditions were: microwave power 400 W, temperature 70°C, solvent‐to‐material ratio 30 mL/g, and extraction time 1 min. Compared to conventional extraction methods, the proposed method can simultaneously extract the three components in high yields and was proved to be a more rapid method with a lower solvent consumption. The optimized HPLC–photodiode array detection analysis was validated to have good linearity, precision, accuracy, and sensitivity. The developed MAE followed by RP‐HPLC is a fast and appropriate method for the simultaneous extraction and determination of rutin, forsythiaside A, and phillyrin in the fruits of F. suspensa.     

柱前衍生高效液相色谱-质谱法测定水稻中尼克烟酰胺含量

建立了柱前衍生高效液相色谱-质谱联用(HPLC-MS)测定水稻中尼克烟酰胺含量的方法.样品中尼克烟酰胺经水提取后,与9-芴甲基氯甲酸酯(FMOC-Cl)衍生,采用液相色谱质谱联用仪测定.系统研究了衍生剂浓度和衍生介质等条件对衍生效率的影响.通过优化流动相酸度和梯度洗脱等条件,提高了方法灵敏度.尼克烟酰胺在0.1～5.0 mg/L范围内呈良好的线性关系(r=0.9983),对水稻的根、茎、叶及大米的标准加入实验表明,方法的添加回收率在72.0%～89.2%之间; 相对标准偏差为2.3%～9.6%; 方法检出限为0.05 mg/kg.方法简便、准确可靠,可以满足水稻中生理水平尼克烟酰胺的定性定量分析.     

Application of CE for determination of DNA base composition

DNA base composition expressed as mol% of guanine plus cytosine (% GC) or GC content is a key parameter of bacterial taxonomy and genomic analyses. Direct chemical determination methods such as HPLC as well as indirect methods based on physical properties of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), melting point (T(m)), and buoyant density (B(d)) have been conventionally applied to determine the GC content. However, these methods require relatively large amounts of sample DNA, time, and labor. We have developed a protocol to determine the GC content by fine separation of nucleosides with CZE. Genomic DNAs with known GC content from 23 bacterial strains were determined by CE at the optimized conditions of 27 degrees C, 20 kV in 50 mM of NaHCO(3) (pH 9.0) and 70 mM SDS added. Nucleosides from <1 microg of DNA hydrolyzed with nuclease-P1 and bacterial alkaline phosphatase were separated in a 75 microm wide and 80 cm long silica capillary. The nucleoside peak areas were determined at 254 nm in less than 12 min. The CE-based determination of GC content requires only small amounts of DNA, and thus should be applicable to environmental genomics (metagenomics), as >90% of environmental micro-organisms are nonculturable and produce only small amounts of genomic DNA.     

改进的QuEChERS方法用于鱼肉中孔雀石绿、隐色孔雀石绿、结晶紫和隐色结晶紫的快速检测(英文)

孔雀石绿（MG）和结晶紫（CV）具有抗菌等活性,常被违法用于水产养殖业。但MG、CV及其代谢产物隐色孔雀石绿（LMG）、隐色结晶紫（LCV）具有致癌性。所以水产品中染料的残留检测是食品安全分析的重要问题。由于水产品基质复杂,样品前处理尤为重要。本文发展了一种基于QuEChERS技术与高效液相色谱联用的方法,用于鱼肉中4种染料的同时检测。对QuEChERS方法中提取剂体积、提取次数以及分散固相萃取材料进行了优化。结果表明反相/强阴离子交换材料（C18SAX）能有效提高回收率。在最优条件下,4种染料在0.5~100 mg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数均大于0.998。该方法在鱼肉中的回收率为73%~91%,RSD为0.66%~5.41%。结果表明该方法简单、高效,适合于鱼肉中染料的快速检测。     

Determination of ultra-trace amount methyl-, phenyl- and inorganic mercury in environmental and biological samples by liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after cloud point extraction preconcentration

The cloud point extraction (CPE) preconcentration of ultra-trace amount of mercury species prior to reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection was studied. Mercury species including methyl-, ethyl-, phenyl- and inorganic mercury were transformed into hydrophobic chelates by reaction with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, and the hydrophobic chelates were extracted into a surfactant-rich phase of Triton X-114 upon heating in a water bath at 40 °C. Ethylmercury was found partially decomposed during the CPE process, and was not included in the developed method. Various experimental conditions affecting the CPE preconcentration, HPLC separation, and ICP-MS determination were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, detection limits of 13, 8 and 6 ng l⁻¹ (as Hg) were achieved for MeHg⁺, PhHg⁺ and Hg²⁺, respectively. Seven determinations of a standard solution containing the three mercury species each at 0.5 ng ml⁻¹ level produced relative standard deviations of 5.3, 2.3 and 4.4% for MeHg⁺, PhHg⁺ and Hg²⁺, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of the three mercury species in environmental water samples and biological samples of human hair and ocean fish.     

Forced degradation studies of norepinephrine and epinephrine from dental anesthetics: Development of stability-indicating HPLC method and in silico toxicity evaluation

Injectable solutions containing epinephrine (EPI) and norepinephrine (NE) are not stable, and their degradation is favored mainly by the oxidation of catechol moiety. As studies of these drugs under forced degradation conditions are scarce, herein, we report the identification of their degradation products (DP) in anesthetic formulations by the development of stability-indicating HPLC method. Finally, the risk assessment of the major degradation products was evaluated using in silico toxicity approach. HPLC method was developed to obtain a higher selectivity allowing adequate elution for both drugs and their DPs. The optimized conditions were developed using a C18 HPLC column, sodium 1-octanesulfonate, and methanol (80:20, v/v) as mobile phase, with a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min, UV detection at 199 nm. The analysis of standard solutions with these modifications resulted in greater retention time for EPI and NE, which allow the separation of these drugs from their respective DPs. Then, five DPs were identified and analyzed by in silico studies. Most of the DPs showed important alerts as hepatotoxicity and mutagenicity. To the best of our acknowledgment, this is the first report of a stability-indicating HPLC method that can be used with formulations containing catecholamines.     

Multiple genotyping based on multiplex PCR and microarray

The genetic variability has obtained more and more attention in the process of diagnosis and treatment of tumors.Herein,we have described a multiple genotyping method based on magnetic enrichmentmultiplex PCR (MEM-PCR) and microarray technology.Monodisperse magnetic beads were fabricated and modified with streptavidin.Four loci on two genes (M235T and A-6G loci on AGT gene,A1298C and C677T loci on MTHFR gene) were selected to study single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP).Target sequences of these SNP loci were amplified using Cy3-labeled primers through multiplex PCR in one tube after the templates were enriched and purified by functional magnetic beads (MB).Four pairs of NH₂-labeled probes,corresponding to each locus,were fixed on CHO-modified glass slide by covalent binding.Hybridization between target sequences and probes was performed under suitable conditions.The spotting locations on microarray and the ratio of fluorescence intensity,produced by different loci,were used to distinguish the SNP genotypes.Finally,three of gastric cancer samples were collected and genotyping analysis for these four SNP loci was carried out successfully simultaneously by this method.     

葛根提取物高效液相色谱分析方法的优化

针对葛根提取物的复杂体系,分别从色谱模式、流动相、添加剂以及梯度洗脱条件几个方面对其高效液相色谱分析 方法进行了优化。其中梯度洗脱条件的优化是根据各组分在5次线性梯度下的保留时间并借助于CSASS软件快速准确地计 算出各组分的液相色谱保留参数a,c值以及峰形参数σ和τ,在此基础上使用CSASS软件对葛根提取物的色谱分离情况进行 高精度仿真预测,从而优化了梯度洗脱条件。考察了优化条件下的分析方法的精密度和重现性,结果表明该方法稳定、可 靠、重现性好。     

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of fluorophore-labeled hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate disaccharides: application to the analysis in cells and tissues

This report describes a new formulation of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of fluorophore-labeled saccharides (PAGEFS) for the analysis of hyaluronan (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) Delta-disaccharides. PAGEFS relies on derivatization of reducing ends of HA- and the variously sulfated CS-derived Delta-disaccharides with 2-aminoacridone (AMAC), followed by electrophoresis under optimized buffer conditions (Tris-borate and Tris-HCl) and on polyacrylamide gels (25% T/3.75% C). The method was applied to the analysis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) from the human umbilical cord tissue and GAGs isolated from human aortic smooth muscle cell cultures. The obtained results were in agreement with those obtained after an analysis with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). On the basis of these results, PAGEFS is a rapid and sensitive method for the analysis of the total amount of HA- and CS-derived disaccharides, as it allows analyzing 20 samples in minigels in one run and provides quantitation with relatively high sensitivity (less than 25 pmol per disaccharide). In addition, PAGEFS overcomes the lack of commercial gels described previously for the separation of AMAC-labeled disaccharides. Therefore, the method proposed here is an economic and useful tool for a fast screening of GAGs in biological samples, particularly when a high number of samples should be analyzed.     

Determination of aldehydes in fish by high-performance liquid chromatography

A new analytical method to determine trace volatile aldehydes isolated from the headspace of fish meat at room temperature by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the form of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPHo) derivatives has been developed. Aliquots (50 g) of the fish purée were introduced into a 500-mL glass recipient and were purged with N2 for 40 min through two SEP-PAK C18 cartridges (connected in series) coated with an acid solution of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. The cartridges were then eluted with acetonitrile (2 mL) and the 2,4-DNPHo formed was quantitated by HPLC-UV analysis using a Zorbax C18 column. The isolated compounds from the dynamic headspace sampling of four kinds of fish species were saturated aldehydes, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propanal, butanal, pentanal, and hexanal. Under optimized conditions the detection limits of the HPLC method were in the range of 0.75 nmol/g (formaldehyde) to 2.19 nmol/g (hexanal). The calibration curves were linear in the concentration range from 1.3 nmol/mL to 12.5 nmol/mL. Propanal and acetaldehyde were the major carbonyl compounds identified (ranging from 3.9 nmol/g and 10 nmol/g). This study has revealed the widespread occurrence of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propanal, butanal, pentanal, and hexanal in fish meat.     

Preparative high-performance liquid chromatography for the purification of natural acylated anthocyanins from red radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is applied to the purification of anthocyanins from raw extracts of red radish (Raphanus sativus L). For each separation, the chromatographic conditions are optimized to achieve an efficient purification in the shortest time. In addition, UV-vis characterization is carried out on all purified anthocyanins. The current work shows that analytical chromatographic experiments alone are useful for the prediction of scale-up conditions of preparative HPLC separations. Ten known acylated anthocyanins (See the Appendix for compounds 1-10) are isolated from the red radish by isocratic HPLC. The structures are establishe on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometric analysis. The acylated anthocyanins are all based on pelargonidin 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside, acylated with caffeoyl, feruloyl, or p-coumaroyl moieties.     

Screening for the beta-39 mutation in thalassemia by capillary electrophoresis in free solution in strongly acidic, isoelectric buffers

A novel method is reported for screening for point mutations in genomic DNA: free-zone capillary electrophoresis in very acidic buffers. This method exploits the charge difference among the four different bases (C, T, A, G) in a pH window between 2.5 and 3.5, where the four titration curves fan out. The method is applied to the detection of the beta-39 missense mutation in the beta-globin gene in thalassemias. A 60-mer fragment straddling the mutation site has been amplified. In an isoelectric buffer (iminodiacetic acid) of pH 3.3, partial resolution between the wild type and mutated strands is obtained. In a pH 3.0 phosphate buffer, baseline resolution is achieved between the two strands in a heterozygous individual. Due to the short size of the amplified fragment, this method can only be applied to routine screening for known mutations because resolution was lost in a fragment 100 bases long.     

Application of sample disruption methods in the extraction of anthocyanins from solid or semi-solid vegetable samples

Cassis, a commercial powder obtained from blackcurrant juice (Ribes nigrum L.), was used to optimize the anthocyanin extraction by matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) and by sea sand disruption method (SSDM). The optimum eluent conditions were 5.0 mL of MeOH/H2O (1:1, v/v) at pH 2. The extracts were analyzed by HPLC with diode-array detection (DAD) and the extraction efficiency was evaluated by statistical comparison (analysis of variance, ANOVA-single factor) of the compounds peak areas. The extraction efficiency for the MSPD procedure was dependent on the chemical nature of the C18 material but the optimized procedure yielded results similar to those obtained by the inexpensive sea sand disruption method (SSDM). This procedure also compared favorably to a previously published liquid-liquid extraction method. The optimized sea sand method was then used in the anthocyanin extraction from red grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) and strawberries (Fragaria ananassa D.) yielding chromatographic profiles similar to those reported in the literature for these products.