Analysis of nitrite and nitrate as 1-nitro-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene derivatives by reversed-phase HPLC with UV-detection

Summary A reversed-phase HPLC method for the determination of nitrite and nitrate in aqueous solutions, biological buffers and human urine is described. The method is based on the conversion of nitrite and nitrate into their 1-nitro-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene (NTBM) derivatives by using 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene and concentrated sulphuric acid. NTMB is extracted by benzene, the solvent evaporated, the residue reconstructed in methanol/water (3/4, v/v) and subsequently analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC and UV detection (360 nm). The specificity of the nitration reaction, good reproducibility (C.V. 6.2%) and high sensitivity (8.4 ng nitrite) show the applicability of this method to the quantitative analysis of nitrite and nitrate in several matrices including human urine.     

Stable-isotope dilution GC-MS method for ethanol in vapour ethanol and microdialysis systems based on carbonate-catalyzed extractive pentafluorobenzoylation

Common ethanol detection methods are not applicable to cell culture media and microdialysates due to interference with medium constituents including amino acids and pH indicators. We present a novel GC-MS method for the accurate and precise analysis of ethanol in cell cultures and microdialysates. The method is based on the carbonate-catalyzed extractive pentafluorobenzoylation of ethanol and deuterium-labelled ethanol serving as the internal standard and on their GC-MS analysis in the electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionization mode. The method was used to optimize experimental conditions in a custom-made ethanol vapour system utilized for studies examining ethanol influences on neuronal cell lines and in microdialysis.     

Solid- and liquid-phase extraction for the gas chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric quantification of 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 and 2,3-dinor-6-oxo-prostaglandin F1 alpha in human urine

Whole body synthesis of thromboxane A2 is best assessed by quantifying non-invasively its major urinary metabolite, i.e., 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 (2,3-dn-TxB2), by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or GC-tandem MS. Methods based on these techniques usually require a series of extraction and purification procedures including solid-phase extraction (SPE) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) or liquid chromatographic separation of authentic or derivatized 2,3-dn-TxB2. Taking advantage of the inherent accuracy of GC-tandem MS and the high selectivity of the extraction of methoximated 2,3-dn-TxB2 on phenylboronic acid SPE cartridges we developed a method that involves only SPE steps prior to quantification by GC-tandem MS. The method was validated by performing in parallel an additional TLC step. Method mean accuracy and precision were of the order of 103% and 95%, respectively. The method allows furthermore co-processing of the same urine sample to quantify accurately and rapidly the major urinary metabolite of prostacyclin, i.e., 2,3-dn-6-oxo-prostaglandin (PG) F1 alpha, by GC-tandem MS. The limit of detection of the method was below each 5 pg of 2,3-dn-TxB2 and 2,3-dn-6-oxo-PGF1 alpha per 5 ml of urine. Our study suggests that dinor metabolites of isothromboxanes and isoprostacyclins are not abundantly present in human urine.