Marine adhesives. IV: Hexosamine content of Balanus eburneus adhesive

The adhesive secreted by the barnacle, Balanus eburneus, has been demonstrated to contain two hexosamines, glucosamine and galactosamine. Degradation of the hexosamines during hydrolysis of the adhesive appears to be the reason why previous studies of the adhesive have indicated the absence of hexosamines, or the presence of only one hexosamine.     

Determination of malotilate and its metabolites in plasma and urine

A method for the determination of malotilate (I), the corresponding monocarboxylic acid (II) and its decarboxylated product (III) in plasma is described. Plasma was extracted with chloroform spiked with internal standard. The residue, dissolved in methanol, was chromatographed on a reversed-phase column with a mobile phase of 60% acetonitrile and 1% acetic acid in water. The sensitivity limit for I, II and III was 50, 25 and 100 ng/ml of plasma, respectively. Compound I in the same plasma extract was also analysed by gas chromatography--electron-impact mass spectrometry. The base peaks m/z 160 for I and m/z 162 for internal standard (IV) were monitored; the sensitivity limit for I was 2.5 ng/ml of plasma. The determination of the metabolites of I, II and its conjugate (V), and isopropyl-hydrogen malonate (VI) in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography is also described. The limit of quantification for VI was 2.0 micrograms/ml, and the overall coefficient of variation of VI was 4.7%. The limit of quantification for II in urine was 0.5 micrograms/ml and that for V was 1.0 micrograms/ml as total II (II + V). The overall precision of the method was satisfactory. The method was used to determine plasma and urine concentrations in four dogs orally dosed with 100, 200 or 400 mg of malotilate.     

Simultaneous determination of creatinine and uric acid in human plasma and urine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

High performance capillary electrophoresis using a buffer solution containing micelles of ionic surfactant (e.g. sodium dodecyl sulfate), called micellar electrokinetic chromatography, has been applied to the separation and simultaneous determination of creatinine and uric acid in human plasma and urine. The sample was introduced into the capillary by siphoning an appropriate volume of untreated plasma or urine spiked with an internal standard (antipyrine). Creatinine, uric acid, and antipyrine were separated mutually, and from other endogeneous components within 18 min. The calibration plots showed good linearity (correlation coefficient > 0.999) over the concentration range needed for clinical analysis. Standard addition tests indicated that the recoveries of creatinine and uric acid from urine samples ranged, respectively, from 97 % to 106 % and 97.4 % to 108 % with a coefficient of variation (C.V.) of 3.3 % (n = 5), and that those from plasma samples ranged, respectively, from 100 % to 112 % and 101 % to 107 % with a C.V. of 4.7 % (n = 5). The results were in agreement with those obtained by conventional methods.     

Determination of 2-mercaptopropionylglycine in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

Methods for quantitative analysis of total and non-protein-bound 2-mercaptopropionylglycine (2-MPG) in plasma, and total 2-MPG in urine, have been developed. By reduction of urine, plasma or deproteinized plasma samples with tributylphosphine, 2-MPG is liberated from its disulphides, and after clean-up of the sample, 2-MPG is derivatized with N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-3-coumarinyl)maleimide (DACM). The 2-MPG-DACM derivative is then quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorimetric detection. Both ion-suppression and ion-pair HPLC gave satisfactory chromatograms. The precision of the methods was satisfactory (coefficient of variation 3.1-5.8%), analytical recovery was quantitative (85-99%) and the two HPLC techniques were well correlated (r = 0.99). Five healthy subjects receiving 500 mg of 2-MPG showed maximal total plasma concentration of 13.8-26.9 mumol/l at 3-5 h after intake, and their non-protein-bound 2-MPG was, at the same time, 62-77% of the total 2-MPG. The urinary excretion was 27.8 +/- 3.8% (mean +/- S.D.) of the given dose, most of it excreted within 12 h after intake.     

Excretion of iodide in 24-h urine as determined by ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A simple method is presented for the routine analysis of iodide in urine. After a one-step sample clean-up, iodide was separated by ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography and detected electrochemically with a silver electrode. The coefficient of variation of a single analysis of iodide in a pooled urine sample (530 nmol/l) was 7.6%. The detection limit, derived from a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, was 3 pmol, corresponding to 0.06 mumol/l. The recovery of iodide added to urine was 96 +/- 7%. The accuracy of the method was assessed by analysing ten different samples with neutron activation analysis. The data obtained with the two methods showed a high correlation (r = 0.991) and did not differ significantly. Excretion of iodide in samples of 24-h urine from a free-living population was shown to have a log-normal distribution and to be higher in men than in women. The iodide/creatinine ratio was independent of sex and increased with age.     

The determination of cysteamine in physiological fluids by HPLC with electrochemical detection

Cysteamine, an amino thiol, was separated by rapid isocratic cation exchange chromatography and detected by electrochemical oxidation at a platinum electrode maintained at +0.45 V relative to an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Eluent pH and electrode working potentials were optimized and the effects of alternative buffers and organic modifiers have been examined. On column sensitivity for cysteamine was 1.5 pmol at a signal-to-noise ratio of 5. Although the specificity was good, plasma samples required maximal sensitivity whereas urine samples required greater selectivity, which was achieved by use of lower working potentials. Cysteamine concentrations were determined in serial samples of plasma and urine from volunteers who had received a single oral dose of 200 mg of the drug. Cysteamine was rapidly oxidized in vivo, and detection required prior reduction with dithiothreitol before analysis.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of hyoscine (scopolamine) in urine using solid phase extraction.

A sensitive method for the determination of hyoscine (scopolamine) in urine is described. After concentration and "clean-up" on C18 and CN solid phase extraction columns, hyoscine was quantified by high performance liquid chromatography with coulometric detection (oxidation at +0.9 V). The limit of detection was 5 ng per sample and the precision for 5 mL samples containing 2 ng/mL was 12.3%. The method was applied to urine samples collected from 12 volunteers wearing Scopoderm TTS patches. The mean excretion rate of unmetabolized hyoscine was 0.45 micrograms/h and 87% of the total hyoscine was present as conjugates. Apohyoscine (aposcopolamine) was identified as a urinary metabolite. The significance of this with regard to hyoscine assays is discussed.     

Pre-column derivatization of sisomicin with o-phthalaldehyde-beta-mercaptopropionic acid and its application to sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic determination with fluorimetric detection

The stability of the o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) derivatives of sisomicin obtained using beta-mercaptopropionic acid was investigated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. One of the fluorescent derivatives of sisomicin was stable at least for 6 h in 50% methanol under the optimal conditions used (OPA concentration, pH and temperature). When plasma samples spiked with sisomicin were analysed, the response was linear in the calibration range 136-900 pg of sisomicin per injected volume (40 microliters). As little as 0.06 micrograms of sisomicin per 1 ml of plasma could be detected with signal-to-noise ratio greater than or equal to 2. For plasma samples spiked with 0.2 micrograms/ml sisomicin, the recovery was 97.1 +/- 6.6% (mean +/- S.D., n = 5) with a within-run coefficient of variation of 6.8% and a day-to-day coefficient of variation of 7.2%. The method was also applied to plasma samples from rabbit after a subcutaneous injection of 1 mg/kg sisomicin.     

Method development for the concentration determination of a protein in human plasma utilizing 96-well solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric detection

Although liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) technology has been widely used for quantitative analysis of small organic molecules, it has been a challenging task to quantitatively analyze protein samples utilizing this technology in biological matrices for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Here we present our initial results in method development for the quantitative determination of rK5 protein concentrations in human plasma samples utilizing LC/MS/MS technology. A protein similar in structure to rK5, but with a slightly reduced molecular weight, was used as internal standard. A 96-well solid-phase extraction procedure was developed to effectively extract protein analytes from plasma samples. Quantitative analysis was obtained by a novel approach of protein monitoring that employed selective reaction monitoring (SRM). Even though mass spectrometry of the internal standard protein gave no fragment ions, SRM monitoring greatly reduced background interference. Using samples prepared in human plasma with sodium EDTA as anticoagulant, a correlation coefficient (r(2)) of 0.9940 was obtained by producing a single standard curve with the injection of six rows of standards with a concentration range from 100 ng/mL to 10 microg/mL. The mean analytical recovery for these standards ranged from 91.5 to 103.6%. The CVs for individual standard levels ranged from 3.7 to 20.9%. The experiment was also repeated using samples prepared in human plasma with sodium heparin as anticoagulant, which produced a correlation coefficient (r(2)) of 0.9952 obtained from a single standard curve with the injection of four rows of standards with a concentration range from 50 ng/mL to 10 microg/mL. The mean analytical recovery for the standards ranged from 96.2 to 104.6%. The CVs for individual standard levels ranged from 2.6 to 15.6%.     

Determination of clomipramine and its hydroxylated and demethylated metabolites in plasma and urine by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A procedure for the determination of clomipramine and its 8-hydroxy, demethyl, 8-hydroxydemethyl and didemethyl metabolites in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection is described. A 1-ml plasma or urine sample is made alkaline with a carbonate buffer (pH 9.8) and extracted with 20% ethyl acetate in n-heptane. After back-extraction into an acid phosphate buffer (pH 2.4), an aliquot is injected into a 5-microns ion-paired reversed-phase column and eluted with a mobile phase containing a phosphate buffer with tetramethylammonium chloride-acetonitrile (57:43). The detection is coulometric with a first cell at +0.40 V, a second at +0.73 V and a guard cell set at 0.75 V for oxidation of the mobile phase. The method provides recoveries in the general range of 80-110% and a day-to-day precision of 3.7-8.8%, depending on the compound. The minimum quantifiable level for all compounds was 0.2 ng/ml with a 20-microliters injection. Steady-state plasma concentration data and urinary levels are reported for 24 depressed patients receiving daily either 75-150 mg orally or 50-75 mg by infusion.     

Analysis of diethylstilbestrol, dienestrol and hexestrol in biological samples by immunoaffinity extraction and gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A method has been developed for the detection of diethylstilbestrol, together with dienestrol and hexestrol, using extraction with a single immunoaffinity column containing antibodies raised against diethylstilbestrol, followed by gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Immunoaffinity columns were prepared by coupling immunoglobulin G fractions obtained from rabbit antisera with a Sepharose matrix. The immunizing agent was synthesized by introducing a carboxyl group into the diethylstilbestrol molecule and coupling this product to bovine serum albumin. The columns were used for immunoadsorption of diethylstilbestrol and other estrogens, after dilution of samples with phosphate buffer, and were eluted with acetone-water (95:5 v/v). A derivatization method suitable for gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of diethylstilbestrol and other estrogens was developed using pentafluorobenzyl bromide and ethanolic potassium hydroxide as reagents. The derivatives obtained were detectable at the sub-picogram level using gas chromatography with negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Recoveries of cis- and trans-diethylstilbestrol, dienestrol and hexestrol from the immunoaffinity columns, determined after extraction from urine, plasma and buffer, ranged from 28 to 96%. The sensitivity for diethylstilbestrol in urine samples was ca. 10 ppt. The method was applied to the analysis of urine from calves given a single dose of 10 mg of diethylstilbestrol. Free and glucuronic acid conjugated diethylstilbestrol decreased with time, but their ratio was variable.     

The distinction of underivatized monosaccharides using electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry

A convenient method for distinguishing underivatized isomeric monosaccharides has been established using electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-ITMS). Mass spectra of hexoses (glucose, galactose, and mannose), N-acetylhexosamines (N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, and N-acetylmannosamine) and hexosamines (glucosamine, galactosamine, and mannosamine) dissolved in solvent containing 1 mM ammonium acetate were obtained in the positive ion mode. Glucose was distinguished from galactose and mannose in the MS(2) spectrum of the [M+NH(4)](+) ion at m/z 198. The MS(3) spectra generated from [M+NH(4)-H(2)O-NH(3)](+) at m/z 163 showed that galactose and mannose could be distinguished by the ratio of peak intensities at m/z 145 and 127, while the three N-acetylhexosamine and hexosamine stereochemical isomers could be identified by the relative abundance ratios of product ions observed in MS(3) spectra. The investigation of MS and MS(2) spectra from complexes of these monosaccharides with Na(+) and Pb(2+) failed to distinguish these monosaccharide isomers. Therefore, multiple stage mass analysis by ESI-ITMS using either [M+NH(4)](+) or [M+H](+) was useful to distinguish between the isomers of monosaccharides.     

Some aspects of quantification of neutral steroid metabolites in body fluids of healthy and uremic subjects by capillary gas chromatography

Neutral steroid metabolites enriched from urine and hemofiltrate were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and quantified by capillary gas chromatography. This study included 20 healthy controls and 37 uremic patients. Before enrichment of steroids from biological material, the standard deviation of the workup procedure and subsequent derivatization into the trimethylsilyl-enol-trimethylsilyl ethers was tested and found to be 2–5% in urine and 12–17% in the more complicated workup procedure of hemofiltrate, but essentially smaller than the biological standard deviation. Compared to the 24 h urinary excretion rates of controls, the excretion rates of androsterone, etiocholanolone, and corticoid metabolites were significantly lower in uremic body fluids, while those of 11-oxygenated androstanolones, degradation products of corticoids, were enhanced in uremic urine. The ratio of corticoid metabolites to 11-oxygenated androstanolones in urine of nondialyzed uremics correlated significantly with their plasma creatinine levels.     

Quantitative analysis of veralipride in plasma and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection

A highly sensitive and selective quantitative assay for unchanged veralipride has been developed. The compound is extracted from alkalized samples (plasma or urine) with dichloromethane and converted to its trimethylated derivative by reaction with trimethylanilinium hydroxide. The reaction mixture is then chromatographed on a 3% OV-1 column. Trimethylated derivatives of plasma samples were assayed by selected-ion monitoring in the chemical-ionization mode and quantified by comparing the intensity of the quasi-molecular ion m/z 426 (M + H) with the intensity of the corresponding ion from trideuterated internal standard, m/z 429 (M + H). Flame-ionization detection was used for the assay of urine samples. The peak height ratio of trimethylated veralipride over trimethylated sulpiride, the internal standard, was used for quantitation of urine samples. A relative standard deviation of less than 10% was found when quantifying 10 ng/ml veralipride in plasma or 1 microgram/ml in urine.     

Advances in glycosaminoglycanomics by 15N-NMR spectroscopy

Recent developments to enhance sensitivity in solution NMR spectroscopy such as the advent and spread of the use of high magnetic fields, cryoprobe technology, isotopic labeling techniques, and new combinations of 2D experiments have pushed the limits in structural NMR analysis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). This review is dedicated to the less sensitive ¹⁵N isotope of hexosamines rather than the commonly used anomeric and ring ¹H and ¹³C resonances of uronic acids and hexosamines. Given that GAG types are basically classified on the basis of their composing hexosamine types together with variations of their sulfation patterns, and epimerized forms of the adjacent uronic acids, ¹⁵N-related NMR studies on native GAGs, oligosaccharides, or the various composing amino sugars have proved to be quite useful in the retrieval of both structural and dynamic information, despite the low number of resultant peaks. This in turn reduces significantly chemical shift degeneracy and at the same time facilitates spin and structural assignments. This review covers the principal contributions made so far by solution ¹⁵N-NMR spectroscopy to progress in the structural biology of GAGs in the current glycomics age.

Determination of ciclazindol in biological fluids by differential pulse polarography

A differential pulse polarographic method has been developed for determination of the antidepressant, 10-(m-chlorophenyl)-2,3,4,10-tetrahydropyrimido[1,2a]indol-10-ol hydrochloride in plasma and urine. The method involves solvent extraction of the drug from the plasma or urine, evaporation to dryness and dissolution of the residue in 10% methanolic 0.01 M tetraethylammonium chloride solution followed by differential pulse polarography. The mean recovery of the drug from plasma containing 0.5–5.0 μg ml^-1 is 80%; the coefficient of variation is 5.5% at the 1.0-μg ml^-1 (2.98 × 10^-6 M) level on 2-ml samples. The method is not subject to interference from the chemical degradation products and metabolites. The techniques described have been applied to the analysis of human plasma; the polarographic and gas Chromatographic results showed good agreement.     

Simultaneous determination of acetylmethadol and its active riotransformation products in human biofluids.

A method employing solvent extraction and gas-liquid chromatography has been developed for the quantitative determination of acetylmethadol simultaneously with its two major biotransformation products, noracetylmethadol and dinoracetylmethadol. Noracetylmethadol and dinoracetylmethadol are analyzed following their conversion to the corresponding amides. The amide structure is confirmed by the use of chemical ionization mass spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The method can be used to determine the concentration of acetylmethadol and these compounds in plasma samples from acetylmethadol maintenance subjects. Methadol and normethadol do not attain neasurable plasma levels. Urine contains predominantly noracetylmethadol and dinoracetylmethadol. Evidence was also obtained for the urinary excretion of acetylmethadol, methadol and normethadol. A mean quantity equal to 28% of the administered dose was excreted in the urine of a 48-h dosing interval as acetylmethadol and metabolites.     

Determination of a potential antiasthmatic compound, tibenelast, and its application to phase I clinical trials

A sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay was developed for the determination of tibenelast, 5,6-diethoxybenzo[b]thiophene-2- carboxylic acid, in plasma and urine. The plasma assay involves protein precipitation with 4% trichloroacetic acid, while the urine assay is an automated solid-phase extraction procedure that utilizes the Waters Millilab workstation. The analysis was achieved by reversed-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection at 313 nm. The quantitation limit of the assay was 50 ng/ml in plasma and 100 ng/ml in urine. The intra-day coefficient of variation for the plasma analysis was between 2.2 and 8.4%, while the overall inter-day coefficient of variation was 5.5 and 6.0% for the high and low calibration curves, respectively. The intra-day coefficient of variation for the urine analysis was between 0.3 and 3.0%, while the inter-day coefficient of variation was 2.1% for both the low and high validation samples. The assay methodology has been used in the evaluation of samples from pharmacokinetic and clinical safety studies.     

Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of urinary N-(1-methylethyl)-N'-phenyl-1,4-benzenediamine in workers exposed to aromatic amines.

A procedure has been developed for determining N-(1-methylethyl)-N'-phenyl-1,4-benzenediamine in urine by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The method uses chloroform extraction for partial clean-up of the urine sample. The separation is carried out on a reversed-phase column using 65 mmol/l aqueous ammonium acetate in acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) as the mobile phase. The column effluent is monitored at 290 nm with an ultraviolet detector. The analyte is separated from other normal urine constituents in less than 4 min. Peak height and concentration are linearly related. Coefficients of variation assessed for within-day reproducibility were 5.9 and 3.7% at concentrations of 22.3 and 92.1 micrograms/l, respectively. The mean analytical recovery from urine samples spiked with known amounts of amine was 89.7 +/- 6.8%. The request of only a small volume of urine and the simple pre-treatment procedure makes it suitable for the routine monitoring of the exposure of rubber vulcanization workers to aromatic amines.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of amphotericin B in plasma, blood, urine and tissues for pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies.

A sensitive and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to assay ampherotericin B in plasma, blood, urine and various tissue samples. Amphotericin B was isolated from each sample matrix by solid-phase extraction (Bond-Elut). The eluate from Bond-Elut containing amphotericin B was injected onto a reversed-phase C18 column (Waters, mu Bondpak, 10 microns, 300 mm x 3.9 mm I.D.) with a mobile phase of 45% acetonitrile in 2.5 mM Na2EDTA at 1 ml/min. Detection of amphotericin B was by ultraviolet absorption at 382 nm. Blood and tissues were homogenized and extracted with methanol prior to Bond-Elut extraction. The extraction efficiencies of amphotericin B from plasma, blood and tissues were approximately 90, 70 and 75%, respectively. The sensitivity of the assay was less than or equal to 5 ng/ml for plasma, less than or equal to 25 ng/ml for blood, 2.5 ng/ml for urine and 50 ng/g for tissues. The linearity of the assay method was up to 2.5 micrograms/ml for plasma, 5 micrograms/ml for blood, 500 ng/ml for urine and 500 micrograms/g for tissues. The assay was reproducible with an intra-day coefficient of variation (C.V., n = 3) of less than 5% in general for plasma, blood and tissues. The inter-day C.V. of the assay was less than 5% for plasma (n = 5), less than 10% for blood (n = 4) and less than 5% for tissues (n = 3). The overall variability in the urine assay was generally less than 10%. This method has demonstrated significant improvement in the sensitivity and reproducibility in assaying amphotericin B in plasma and especially in blood, urine and tissues. We have employed this assay to compare the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution profiles of amphotericin B in rats and dogs following administration of Fungizone and ABCD (amphotericin B-cholesteryl sulfate colloidal dispersion), a lipid-based dosage form. In addition, the assay method for plasma and urine samples can also be applied to pharmacokinetics studies of amphotericin B in man.