Microdetermination of silicon in blood, serum, urine, and milk using furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple, direct microanalytical method for quantitative determination of silicon in human whole blood, serum, urine, and milk by furnace atomic absorption technique has been developed. The method employs standard additions and combines the inherent specificity and simplicity of atomic absorption analysis with the greatly increased sensitivity possible with a heated graphite tube atomizer for the determination of silicon in microliter samples. The sensitivity of the method is 1.3 ng. The method is suitable for the direct analysis of silicon with no sample preparation other than dilution with deionized water, thereby minimizing contamination due to sample preparation. The relative standard deviation for 10 μl of blood (1:1), serum (1:1), urine (1:7), and milk (1:1) was 3.45% or less.     

Determination of functionalised carboxylic acids in atmospheric particles and cloud water using capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry

A capillary electrophoresis/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (CE/ESI-MS) method was developed for the determination of 38 organic acids in atmospheric particles and cloud water. The target analytes include many functionalised carboxylic acids, such as carboxylic acids with additional oxo-, hydroxy- or nitro-groups. These compounds are of large interest as their determination might give new insights into the atmospheric multiphase chemistry. OASIS HLB sorbent material (Waters) was used to extract and enrich polar carboxylic acids from aqueous solutions with recoveries greater than 80% for most analytes. Relative standard deviations in the range of 4-20% for peak areas (n=5), including the SPE step, and 0.2-0.5% (n=8) for migration times were found. The limits of detection (S/N=3) ranged from 0.005 to 0.6 micromol l(-1) for an ion-trap mass spectrometer and from 0.0004 to 0.08 micromol l(-1) for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. These detection limits translate into atmospheric concentrations in the low pg m(-3) range based on the experimental conditions in this study. Severe matrix effects were observed for real samples, arising from complex co-extracted organic material. However, using the method of standard addition, most of the analytes could successfully be quantified in samples of ambient particles and cloud water with concentrations in the low ng m(-3) to high pg m(-3) range. These results demonstrate the suitability of the proposed method for the determination of a wide range of polar carboxylic acids at low concentrations in complex samples of different atmospheric phases.     

Determination of mefloquine by electron-capture gas chromatography after phosgene derivatization in biological samples and in capillary blood collected on filter paper

Mefloquine is determined in 100-microliter samples of whole blood, plasma and capillary blood collected on filter paper by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection after derivatization with phosgene. Sample preparation for whole blood and plasma involves a protein precipitation step that uses a combination of zinc and acetonitrile, followed by simultaneous extraction with methylene chloride and derivatization with phosgene at pH 9.50. Filter paper spots are immersed for 12-24 h in 0.1 M hydrochloric acid, followed by simultaneous extraction with methyl tert.-butyl ether and derivatization. After evaporation of the organic phase and reconstitution with ethyl acetate, 1 microliter of the extract is injected into a megabore capillary column. Because of the high sensitivity of the method, mefloquine concentrations down to 25 nmol/l (9.5 micrograms/l) are determined in 100-microliters samples with a relative standard deviation of 12% at the 25 nmol/l level. Excellent precision was obtained over the range of concentrations tested, 0.10-3 mumol/l (45-1100 micrograms/l), in both plasma and whole blood and from filter-paper-collected capillary blood. The day-to-day relative standard deviation in plasma at the therapeutic level (1-3 mumol/l) was 4.5% (n = 8).     

Simultaneous determination of tryptophan and kynurenine in serum by HPLC with UV and fluorescence detection

Tryptophan metabolism is disturbed in mental depression, and the induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase increases kynurenine production. In order to determine this disturbance in patients with chronic hepatitis C and receiving interferon-based immunotherapy, a new and specific HPLC protocol was elaborated. For tryptophan, the assay was linear from 6.25 to 100 micromol L(-1), and the limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) for the method were 0.7 and 8.0 micromol L(-1). For kynurenine, the linearity of calibration was from 0.0625 to 6.25 micromol L(-1), with LOD and LOQ of 2 and 3 nmol L(-1). Reproducibility and repeatability were satisfactory. The method allowed study of human blood serum.     

Determination of silicate in water by ion exclusion chromatography with conductivity detection

A novel method for the direct determination of silicate in water by ion exclusion chromatography with conductivity detection is reported. The method is simple and sensitive with good precision. The calibration graph was linear from 0.1000 micromol l(-1) to 1000.0 micromol l(-1) for silicate with a correlation coefficient of 0.997 (n=6). The detection limit was 0.02 micromol l(-1). The method was successfully applied to the determination of silicate in mineral water, tap water, distilled water and seawater. The recovery was from 93 to 104% and the relative standard deviation was in the range of 1.1 to 4.4%.     

钼蓝分光光度法测定铅精矿中二氧化硅

采用钼蓝分光光度法测定铅精矿中二氧化硅的含量,研究了显色酸度、钼酸铵用量、加入钼酸铵后的稳定时间、还原液用量以及加入还原液后稳定时间等因素对测定的影响,确定了最佳测定条件。方法加标回收率在97.01%~103.8%,相对标准偏差(RSD)在1.3%~8.5%。方法操作简单,流程短,干扰少,具有较好的精密度和准确度,能够满足铅精矿中二氧化硅含量的测定。     

Development and validation of HPLC method for the determination of α-tocopherol in human erythrocytes for clinical applications

In this work, a simple isocratic reversed-phase HPLC method for determination of alpha-tocopherol in human erythrocytes has been developed and validated. After separation of plasma the erythrocytes were washed three times with 0.9% sodium chloride containing 0.01% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as antioxidant and then were diluted 1:1 (v/v) with the same solution. In the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) procedure, 2500 microL of n-hexane was added to 500 microL of erythrocytes. After 2 min this mixture was deproteinized by addition of cool ethanol (500 microL, 5 min) denatured with 5% methanol containing alpha-tocopherol acetate (20 micromol L(-1)), as internal standard, and then extracted for 5 min by vortex mixing. After centrifugation (10 min, 1600xg) an aliquot (2000 microL) of the clean extract was separated and evaporated under nitrogen. The residue was dissolved in 400 microL methanol and analysed by reversed-phase HPLC on a 4.6 mmx150 mm, 5 microm Pecosphere C18 column; the mobile phase was 100% methanol, flow rate 1.2 mL min(-1). The volume injected was 100 microL and detection was by diode-array detector at a wavelength of 295 nm. The extraction recovery of alpha-tocopherol from human erythrocytes was 100.0+/-2.0%. The detection limit was 0.1 micromol L(-1) and a linear calibration plot was obtained in the concentration range 0.5-20.0 micromol L(-1). Within determination precision was 5.2% RSD (n=10), between determination precision was 6.1% RSD (n=10). The method was applied successfully in a clinical study of patients with acute pancreatitis and for determination of the reference values in the healthy Czech population.     

Stable-isotope dilution analysis of galactose metabolites in human erythrocytes

An established gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method, devised for stable-isotope dilution analysis of plasma galactose, was developed to allow determination of erythrocyte (red blood cell, RBC) concentrations of galactose-1-phosphate and other primary metabolites relevant in galactosaemia. Galactose-1-phosphate was enzymatically converted to galactose, and the aldononitrile pentaacetate derivative was separated by gas chromatography and determined by mass spectrometry using chemical ionisation and selected ion monitoring of the [MH-60](+) ion. U-(13)C-Labelled standard was used for quantification. Comparative measurements were conducted using established fluorimetric and radiometric enzymatic methods. The GC/MS analysis for galactose-1-phosphate was linear (range examined 0-600 micromol/L(RBC), packed cells), of acceptable repeatability at low and high concentrations (within and between run CVs <15%), with a limit of quantification of 0.01 micromol/L(RBC). With samples from patients with classical galactosaemia there was a linear correlation with conventional enzymatic assays (r(2) > 0.927). In erythrocytes from post-absorptive patients under treatment, Q188R-heterozygous parents, and healthy subjects, galactose-1-phosphate concentrations (mean +/- SD) were found to be 142 +/- 38 (n = 41), 1.4 +/- 0.2 (n = 8), and 1.9 +/- 0.5 (n = 33) micromol/L(RBC), respectively. In comparison, free galactose concentrations were 3.8 +/- 1.7, 0.49 +/- 0.19, and 0.43 +/- 0.20 mol/L(RBC), respectively. The procedure allowed simultaneous galactitol analysis and proved to be useful to trace incorporation of (13)C-label into erythrocyte galactose metabolites in a D-[1-(13)C]galactose in vivo turnover study.     

Spectrophotometric determination of samarium(III) with chrome azurol S in the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride

A sensitive, simple method for the determination of trace amounts of samarium by spectrophotometry is described based on the formation of the samarium-chrome azurol S (CAS) complex in micellar medium. The molar absorptivities of the complexes at pH 7.5 at 505 nm were 3.6x10(4) and 1.4x10(5) l mol(-1) cm(-1) for water media and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), respectively. Beer's law is obeyed from 0.05-2 mg l(-1) of samarium at 505 nm as Sm-CAS-CPC complex. Optimal conditions such as reagent amounts, and pH for the samarium determination were reported. The effects of foreign ions were also investigated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of samarium contents in synthetic samples.     

Electrochemical behavior of the bis(2,2'-bipyridyl)copper(II) complex immobilized on a self-assembled monolayer modified electrode for L-ascorbic acid detection

Modification of a gold electrode has been achieved by immobilizing a bis(2,2'-bipyridyl)copper(II) complex in a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3-mercaptopropionic acid. The electrostatic interaction of the negatively charged SAM with a di-positive copper complex allowed the attachment. The modified electrode exhibited excellent redox behavior. The dependence of the modified electrode response was investigated in terms of pH, supporting electrolyte and ionic strength. Moreover, it showed good electrocatalytic activity for ascorbic acid oxidation, allowing convenient quantification at levels down to 8.1 x 10(-8) mol l(-1). The [Cu(bipy)2]/SAM modified electrode under optimized operational conditions (PIPES buffer 0.01 mol l(-1) at pH 6.8 and 200 mV vs. SCE) presented a linear response range between 1.0 micromol l(-1) and 100.0 micromol l(-1) for ascorbic acid. This modified electrode also presented an excellent repeatability, showing a relative standard deviation of 2.1% for a series of 12 successive measurements of a 5.0 micromol l(-1) ascorbic acid solution. Furthermore, the electroactivity was maintained over a long period (e.g., 92% after 100 determinations).     

A comparative study of 632.8 and 532 nm laser irradiation on some rheological factors in human blood in vitro

The effects of laser irradiation with 632.8 and 532 nm on rheological properties of blood were comparatively studied in vitro. Under the irradiation condition of 30 mW, laser irradiation of blood samples using a spot diameter of 5 mm with each laser, showed promising results in the modulation of hemorheological properties. When blood samples from patients with abnormally high values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were irradiated, the values of ESR were lowered statistically by either of the 632.8 or 532 nm lasers. The laser irradiation reduced blood viscosities at different shear rates (10-110 S(-1)) for the hyper-viscosity blood samples. Laser irradiation increased the electrophoretic mobility (EPM) of erythrocytes when the values of the sample's EPM were abnormally slow. The erythrocyte deformability was enhanced by laser irradiation when the deformability of the sample from the patients was originally poor. For verifying the improvement of laser irradiation on erythrocyte deformability, the typical erythrocyte samples with poor deformability were produced by the pre-treatment of the erythrocytes with Ca(2+). The deformability of these erythrocyte samples was also improved after laser irradiation. These results suggest that membrane-bound hemoglobin (Hbm) might be the initial site of the interaction, since Hbm is the main cause of poor deformability when erythrocytes were treated with Ca(2+). In all experiments including ESR, blood viscosity, EPM and erythrocyte deformability, the 532 nm laser demonstrated more efficient effects on modulating rheological properties than 632.8 nm laser. This wavelength effect is consistent with the absorption spectrum of hemoglobin, reflecting that hemoglobin may be one of the action targets under laser irradiation.     

A simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of phosphate in soil, detergents, water, bone and food samples through the formation of phosphomolybdate complex followed by its reduction with thiourea

A simple spectrophotometric method is developed here for the determination of phosphate present in the samples of soil, detergents, water, bone and food based on the formation of phosphomolybdate complex with the added molybdate followed by the reduction of the complex with thiourea in aqueous sulfuric acid medium. The system obeys Beer's law at 840 nm in the phosphate concentration range, 0.5-10.0 μg/ml. Molar absorptivity, correlation coefficient and Sandell's sensitivity values are found to be 1.712 mol(-1) cm(-1), 0.9769 and 0.0555 μg cm(-2) respectively. For a comparison of the results determined from the developed method, phosphate present in the same set of samples is determined separately following an official method. The results of the developed method are agreeing well with those of the official phosphomolybdate method.     

Assessment of a new method for the differential pulse polarographic determination of silicon in steel

A procedure is described by which silicon in steel may be determined by differential pulse polarography after removal of iron. Silicomolybdic acid is formed within 20 min by reaction of the silicon with molybdate in the presence of methyl ethyl ketone: subsequent addition of citrate buffer prevents interference from phosphate and excess of molybdate. At the levels present in high-purity iron ( approximately 0.002%) the precision for silicon is better than that usually quoted for the molybdenum blue method. The steel is dissolved by standard procedures but iron must be removed before the silicon is determined. The lower limit imposed by the polarography is about 10(-5)% silicon, but the practical lower limit is probably set by the difficulty of removing the last traces of iron.     

Selective flotation-spectrophotometric determination of trace copper(II) in natural waters, human blood and drug samples using phenanthraquinone monophenylthiosemicarbazone.

Copper(II) forms 1:1 and 1:2 intense red complexes with phenanthraquinone monophenylthiosemicarbazone (PPT) at pH 3-3.5 and > or =6.5, respectively. These complexes exhibit maximal absorbance at 545 and 517 nm, the molar absorptivity being 2.3 x 10(4) and 4.8 x 10(4) l mol(-1) cm(-1), respectively. However, the 1:1 complex was quantitatively floated with oleic acid (HOL) surfactant in the pH range 4.5-5.5, providing a highly selective and sensitive procedure for the spectrophotometric determination of CuII. The molar absorptivity of the floated Cu-PPT complex was 1.5 x 10(5) l mol)(-1) cm(-1). Beer's law was obeyed over the range 3-400 ppb at 545 nm. The analytical parameters affecting the flotation process and hence the determination of copper traces were reported. Also, the structure of the isolated solid complex and the mechanism of flotation were suggested. Moreover, the procedure was successfully applied to the analysis of CuII in natural waters, serum blood and some drug samples.     

Determination of selenium in small volumes of blood plasma and serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometric method is described for the determination of selenium in blood plasma and serum. Samples are diluted (1 + 9) with a solution containing nickel and nitric acid and measured by a standard additions method. Repeatability for a serum sample containing 87 μg Se l^-1 was 4.4%. The mean recovery of selenium(IV) from a human protein solution was 97.5%. The method was further tested in an interlaboratory comparison study. The standard additions procedure requires a sample volume of 200 μl and a total time of about 7.5 min. A secondary calibration graph can be used, however, resulting in increased throughput up to 13 samples per hour, and a decrease in the sample volume needed to 100 μl.     

A microfluidic device for separating erythrocytes polluted by lead (II) from a continuous bloodstream flow

To sort and separate erythrocytes contaminated by lead (II) from whole bloodstream flow, the first step is to use a microchannel to transport the blood cells into a microdevice. Within the device, polluted erythrocytes can be separated from the bloodstream by applying local dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces. Exploiting the fact that Pb(2+) ions attach to the membranes of the erythrocytes, we utilize the microfluidic DEP device to perform property-based fractionation of the blood samples and to separate the polluted erythrocytes from the continuous bloodstream flow. Atomic absorption spectrometer analysis reveals that, to remove lead-polluted erythrocytes, the most effective driving velocity was less than 0.1 cm/s through our microfluidic DEP device, based on an applied power of 10 V(peak-peak) and a frequency of 15.5 MHz AC field. We were able to remove 80% of the polluted erythrocytes. Using gentle DEP manipulating techniques to efficiently sort unique cells within a complex biological sample may potentially allow biological sorting to be performed outside of hospitals, in facilities without biological analyzing equipment.     

Micromethod for the simultaneous analysis of phenobarbital,diphenylhydantoin, carbamazepine,and primidone in blood

We describe a simple, sensitive method for the determination of phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin, carbamazepine, and primidone in whole blood by use of gas-liquid chromatography with temperature programming. The methylated derivatives of these anticonvulsants are well resolved. 5-(p-Methylphenyl)-5-phenylhydantoin was used as the internal standard. The proposed procedure requires only 100 μl of blood, which can be collected by finger stick. The lower limit of detection for each of the drugs is 0.5 mg/l. Analytical recoveries of drug from serum were excellent and standard curves were linear to twice the toxic concentration for serum.     

Washing-free chemiluminescence immunoassay for rapid detection of cardiac troponin Ⅰ in whole blood samples

Chemiluminescence immunoassay(CLⅠA) has always been a great challenge in detecting cardiac troponin Ⅰ(c Tn Ⅰ) in whole blood samples without centrifugation because of the interference of red blood cells and low sensitivity. Ⅰn this study, the antigens and erythrocytes in the blood were captured by the antibodies immobilized on the magnetic particles, recognized by another biotinconjugated c Tn Ⅰ antibody and detected by streptavidin/acridine aster-conjugated polychloromethylstyrene microspheres(...     

Determination of urea with an ammonia gas-sensitive semiconductor device in combination with urease

An ammonia gas-sensitive Ir/Pd MOS capacitor is used for urea determinations with the aid of urease in two different systems. One combination utilizes a reaction column with immobilized urease in a flow-injection system. The lower limit of urea detection for 150-μl samples was 0.2 μM. Urea in whole blood and blood serum was determined after a 500-fold dilution, and 15 samples per hour could be assayed. The relative standard deviation was 4.6% (n=10). Recovery tests were satisfactory. Values obtained for urea in serum correlated well with those from a spectrophotometric method. The other combination is based on a small flow cell with free urease enclosed between a dialysis membrane and a gas-permeable membrane. Urea was determined in the concentration range 0.01–50 mM. The enzyme probe could be used for up to four days without changes of behaviour.     

Sensitive fluorimetric method for the determination of putrescine, spermidine and spermine by high-performance liquid chromatography and its application to human blood

A fast and sensitive method for the determination of putrescine, spermidine and spermine by high-performance liquid chromatography is described. These compounds are converted to their fluorescent dansyl derivatives and are separated by a reversed-phase chromatographic system (Micropak CH-10) with water and acetonitrile as mobile phase. The sensitivity of the method is 30 pmoles. The application of the method to the determination of polyamines in blood is described. It was found that most of the polyamines circulating in blood are localized in the erythrocytes, their content in normal human blood being spermidine 14.1 +/- 3.1, and spermine 8.4 +/- 2.8 nmoles/ml packed erythrocytes. The polyamine level in serum is less than 0.1 nmole/ml. The polyamine content of the erythrocytes from patients with malignant neoplasms was significantly elevated.