Separation of a BMS drug candidate and acyl glucuronide from seven glucuronide positional isomers in rat plasma via high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection

A high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the determination of a BMS drug candidate and its acyl glucuronide (1-O-beta glucuronide) in rat plasma. A 50-microL aliquot of each plasma sample was fortified with acetonitrile containing the internal standard to precipitate proteins and extract the analytes of interest. After mixing and centrifugation, the supernatant from each sample was transferred to a 96-well plate and injected into an LC/MS/MS system. Chromatographic separation was achieved isocratically on a Phenomenex Luna C(18), 3 mm x 150 mm, 3 microm column. The mobile phase contained 0.075% formic acid in 70:30 (v/v) acetonitrile/water. Under the optimized chromatographic conditions, the BMS drug candidate and its acyl glucuronide were separated from its seven glucuronide positional isomers within 10 min. Resolution of the parent from all glucuronides and acyl glucuronide from its positional isomers was critical to avoid their interference with quantitation of parent or acyl glucuronide. Detection was by positive ion electrospray MS/MS on a Sciex API 4000. The standard curve, which ranged from 5 to 5000 ng/mL, was fitted to a 1/x(2) weighted quadratic regression model for both the BMS drug candidate and its acyl glucuronide. Whole blood and plasma stability experiments were conducted to establish the sample collection, storage, and processing conditions. The validation results demonstrated that this method was rugged and repeatable. The same methodology has also been used in mouse and human plasma for the determination of the BMS drug candidate and its acyl glucuronide.     

Simultaneous determination of morphine and its glucuronides in rat hair and rat plasma by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The simultaneous determination of morphine and the glucuronide metabolites [morphine-3-beta-D-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-beta-D-glucuronide (M6G)] in rat hair and rat plasma was carried out using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The chromatographic separation of the analytes was achieved using a semi-micro-HPLC column (3 microm particle size; 100 x 2.0 mm id) by gradient elution with 50 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile as eluents. After separation, morphine and the glucuronides were determined by selected ion monitoring (SIM) of ESI-MS using the quasi-molecular ions [M + H]+ at m/z = 286 and 462, respectively. The calibration curves were linear between the concentration of the analytes and the deuterium-labelled morphine (M-d3) selected as internal standard. The method was applied for the determination of the incorporation of morphine and the glucuronides into the hair shafts and hair roots of Dark Agouti rats after single intraperitoneal administration of morphine hydrochloride. Plasma concentrations of morphine and glucuronides were simultaneously determined after administration. Morphine and M3G were detected in the hair shafts and the hair roots. The concentrations of M3G in the hair root were lower than those of morphine in all sampling periods. In contrast, M3G concentrations in plasma were relatively higher at each sampling time. Small quantities of M6G were also identified in the plasma up to 4 h after administration. The concentration difference between the hair root and plasma seems to be due to the incorporation ratio of morphine and glucuronide into hair. As M3G was also identified in the hair shaft 1 week after administration, the incorporation of glucuronide metabolites into hair is obvious. This is the first report of the identification of morphine glucuronide in hair samples without the use of acid hydrolysis or enzyme digestion.     

Structural evaluation of the glucuronides of morphine and formoterol using chemical derivatization with 1,2-dimethylimidazole-4-sulfonyl chloride and liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

For the first time chemical derivatization of isomeric drug glucuronides with 1,2-dimethylimidazole-4-sulfonyl chloride (DMISC) has been successfully applied as a tool for determining the site of conjugation. This provides a way to differentiate between glucuronide isomers containing aliphatic and phenolic hydroxyl groups. The analyses were performed with liquid chromatography/electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MSn). DMISC has previously been shown to react selectively with phenols in estrogens, thus improving sensitivity in ESI-MS. The model compounds selected for this study were commercially available standards of formoterol, morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G), and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G). Formoterol glucuronides were produced with an enzymatic method in house. Both formoterol and morphine possess one phenolic and one aliphatic hydroxyl group where glucuronidation could take place. The product ion mass spectra of the native morphine glucuronides were indistinguishable due to the initial neutral loss of monodehydrated glucuronic acid (176 u). However, a significant difference between the isomers was observed with DMISC derivatization, as only the form with a free phenol, M6G, gave a detectable reaction product. Formoterol formed two detectable glucuronide isomers in the enzymatic reaction. Their respective sites of conjugation could not be directly determined from the product ion spectra. Reaction with DMISC, however, gave a detectable product with only one of the isomers. Based on previous experience of the preferred DMISC reactions with phenols, and interpretation of the fragmentation pattern of the derivative, it was concluded that the reactive isomer had a free phenol, and was thus conjugated on the aliphatic chain.     

Feasibility of a liquid-phase microextraction sample clean-up and liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric screening method for selected anabolic steroid glucuronides in biological samples

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are metabolized extensively in the human body, resulting mainly in the formation of glucuronide conjugates. Current detection methods for AAS are based on gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis of the hydrolyzed steroid aglycones. These analyses require laborious sample preparation steps and are therefore time consuming. Our interest was to develop a rapid and straightforward method for intact steroid glucuronides in biological samples, using liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) sample clean-up and concentration method combined with liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) analysis. The applicability of LPME was optimized for 13 steroid glucuronides, and compared with conventional liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures. An LC/MS/MS method was developed for the quantitative detection of AAS glucuronides, using a deuterium-labeled steroid glucuronide as the internal standard. LPME, owing to its high specificity, was shown to be better suited than conventional LLE and SPE for the clean-up of urinary AAS glucuronides. The LPME/LC/MS/MS method was fast and reliable, offering acceptable reproducibility and linearity with detection limits in the range 2-20 ng ml(-1) for most of the selected AAS glucuronides. The method was successfully applied to in vitro metabolic studies, and also tested with an authentic forensic urine sample. For a urine matrix the method still has some unsolved problems with specificity, which should be overcome before the method can be reliably used for doping analysis, but still offering additional and complementary data for current GC/MS analyses.     

Distinguishing a phosphate ester prodrug from its isobaric sulfate metabolite by mass spectrometry without the metabolite standard

A phosphate prodrug of a phenolic or alcoholic drug is isobaric with the putative sulfate metabolite of the drug. During liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis of biological samples obtained after the administration of a phosphate prodrug, a product ion arising from the parent drug portion of the prodrug molecule is commonly used in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) utilized for the simultaneous quantitation of the prodrug and the in vivo generated parent drug. While the advantage of using a drug moiety‐specific LC‐SRM method is obvious, one drawback is that the sulfate metabolite will also respond to such an SRM transition since the metabolite will invariably yield the same product ion as the prodrug. Thus, the sulfate metabolite could be mistaken for the prodrug unless chromatographic separation between the two is achieved. In the absence of a reference standard for the sulfate metabolite to demonstrate chromatographic separation, it is important to establish a procedure that can ascertain the absence of the sulfate metabolite in the study samples to ensure the specificity of the method for the prodrug. To this end, we studied the MS/MS behavior of model phosphate and sulfate ester compounds and developed a procedure based on phosphate‐specific and sulfate‐specific product ions for distinguishing the phosphate prodrug from the sulfate metabolite. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discovery of neurosteroid glucuronides in mouse brain

Neurosteroid glucuronides were found for the first time in brain samples. The intact glucuronides were extracted from the cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and mid-brain tissues of nicotine- and water-treated mice, and detected with capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (CapLC-ESI-MS/MS). The glucuronides of estradiol, cortisol, corticosterone, tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, pregnenolone, and isopregnanolone were identified by comparing retention times in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) chromatograms and the relative abundances of two SRM transitions of each neurosteroid glucuronide between the reference and authentic samples, thus providing reliable identification. In vitro experiments, carried out by using S9 fractions from mouse and rat brains, showed a formation of glucuronides with selected test compounds (corticosterone, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone), suggesting that biosynthesis of neurosteroid glucuronides is possible in rodent brain.     

Key fragments for identification of positional isomer pair in glucuronides from the hydroxylated metabolites of RT-3003 (Vintoperol) by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

The mass spectral properties of glucuronides of the 9- and 10-hydroxylated metabolites of RT-3003 (Vintoperol; (-)-1beta-ethyl-1alpha-hydroxymethyl-1,2,3,4,6,7, 12balpha-octahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizine), which were fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, were investigated using the positive ion electrospray ionization mode. These glucuronides showed predominantly the protonated molecular ion ([M + H](+) ion), and the [M + H](+) ion provided a characteristic product ion spectrum in which abundant ions were obtained at m/z 301, 160 and 142. The first ion, corresponding to the [aglycone + H](+) ion, was produced by neutral loss of the glucuronic acid moiety from the [M + H](+) ion. The product ion spectrum of the [M + H](+) ion of hydroxy-RT-3003 revealed a number of ions common to the glucuronide spectra, suggesting that other two ions observed most likely represent fragmentation of hydroxy-RT-3003. In turn, these glucuronides were positional isomers with respect to the binding site of glucuronic acid. The structures of the isomer pairs were discriminated by the presence of the ion of m/z 318 or 336 in the product ion spectrum. These ions were produced by fission of the C-ring, the same as for the formation of the ions of m/z 160 and 142, as were observed in the product ion spectrum from the [M + H](+) ion of hydroxy-RT-3003. For the formation of these ions, an unusual fragmentation process was proposed, and these ion structures were supported by evidence from the accurate mass measurement data. Additionally, in the sulfates of hydroxylated metabolites, a similar product ion corresponding to the ion of m/z 336 found in the phenolic glucuronides was observed, and was applied for identification of the sulfate metabolites.     

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of intact C3-hydroxylated benzodiazepine glucoronides in urine.

A method is described for the determination C3-hydroxylated benzodiazepine glucuronides in biological samples. Oxazepam and lorazepam glucuronides are measured as methyl esters and trimethylsilyl derivates by a gas chromatographic procedure. The applicability of the method has been tested on the urine of rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and man, receiving oxazepam orally. Oxazepam glucuronide was not found in rat urine but it was present in the urine of rabbits (5.7% of the administered dose), guinea pigs (9.5%) and man (13.4-26.9%).     

Migration behaviour and separation of tramadol metabolites and diastereomeric separation of tramadol glucuronides by capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis with UV detection was used to separate tramadol (TR), a centrally acting analgesic, and its five phase I (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5) and three phase II metabolites (glucuronides of M1, M4 and M5). Several factors were evaluated in optimisation of the separation: pH and composition of the background electrolyte and the influence of a micellar modifier, sodium dodecyl sulfate. Baseline separation of TR and all the analytes was obtained with use of 65 mM tetraborate electrolyte solution at pH 10.65. The lowest concentrations of the analytes that could be detected were below 1 microM for the O-methylated, below 2 microM for the phenolic and ca. 7 microM for the glucuronide metabolites. The suitability of the method for screening of real samples was tested with an authentic urine sample collected after a single oral dose (50 mg) of TR. After purification and five-fold concentration of the sample (solid-phase extraction with Oasis MCX cartridges), the parent drug TR and its metabolites M1, M1G, M5 and M5G were easily detected, in comparison with standards, in an interference-free area of the electropherogram. Diastereomeric separation of TR glucuronides in in vitro samples was achieved with 10 mM ammonium acetate-100 mM formic acid electrolyte solution at pH 2.75 and with basic micellar 25 mM tetraborate-70 mM SDS electrolyte solution at pH 10.45. Both separations showed that glucuronidation in vitro produces glucuronide diastereomers in different amounts. The authentic TR urine sample was also analysed by micellar method, but unambiguous identification of the glucuronide diastereomers was not achieved owing to many interferences.     

Formation of multimeric steroid metal adducts and implications for isomer mixture separation by traveling wave ion mobility spectrometry

Steroid analysis is essential to the fields of medicine and forensics, but such analyses can present some complex analytical challenges. While chromatographic methods require long acquisition times and often provide incomplete separation, ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) as coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) has demonstrated significant promise for the separation of steroids, particularly in concert with metal adduction and multimerization. In this study, traveling wave ion mobility spectrometry (TWIMS) was employed to separate multimer steroid metal adducts of isomers in mixtures. The results show the ability to separate steroid isomers with a decrease in resolution compared with single component standards because of the formation of heteromultimers. Additionally, ion‐neutral collision cross sections (CCS) of the species studied were measured in the mixtures and compared with CCSs obtained in single component standards. Good agreement between these values suggests that the CCS may aid in identification of unknowns. Furthermore, a complex mixture composed of five sets of steroid isomers were analyzed, and distinct features for each steroid component were identified. This study further demonstrated the potential of TWIMS‐MS methods for the rapid and isomer‐specific study of steroids in biological samples for use either in tandem with or without chromatographic separation.     

Determination of testosterone and epitestosterone glucuronides in urine by ultra performance liquid chromatography-ion mobility-mass spectrometry

UPLC-ion mobility spectrometry separations combined with mass spectrometry (UPLC-IM-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-IM-MS/MS) have been investigated for the simultaneous determination of testosterone and epitestosterone glucuronides in urine. The glucuronide epimers of testosterone and epitestosterone were separated by ion mobility spectrometry prior to mass analysis on the basis of differences in their collision cross sections, which have been measured in nitrogen. Combining ion mobility separation with UPLC/MS enhances the analysis of these low-abundance steroids in urine by selective interrogation of specific retention time, mass-to-charge and mobility regions. Detection limits for the UPLC-IM-MS/MS analysis of TG and ETG were 9.9 ng mL(-1) and 98 ng mL(-1) respectively, equivalent to 0.7 ng mL(-1) and 7.4 ng mL(-1) in urine, with linear dynamic ranges corresponding to 0.7-108 ng mL(-1) and 7.4-147 ng mL(-1) in urine. Repeatability (%RSD) for urine extracts was 0.64% and 2.31% for TG and ETG respectively.     

Quantification of morphine and its major metabolites M3G and M6G in antemortem and postmortem samples

Morphine is one of the most effective agents for the control of significant pain, primarily metabolized to morphine‐3‐glucuronide (M3G) and morphine‐6‐glucuronide (M6G). While M6G is a potent opioid agonist, M3G has no opioid action and seems to have a role in side‐effects caused by morphine. In this study, a reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatographic method with diode‐array and electrochemical detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of morphine, M3G and M6G in antemortem and postmortem samples (plasma, whole blood, urine, liver, kidney and brain). Morphine, glucuronides and internal standard were extracted by double solid‐phase extraction and the separation was carried out with a Waters Spherisorb® ODS2 reversed‐phase column and potassium phosphate buffer (pH = 2.2)–acetonitrile containing sodium dodecyl sulfate as the mobile phase. The method proved to be specific with good linearity for all analytes in a calibration range from 1 to 600 ng/mL and proved to be accurate and have adequate precision and recovery. Limits of detection in the studied matrices were 0.4–4.5 ng/mL for morphine, 2.7–6.1 ng/mL for M3G and 0.8–4.4 ng/mL for M6G. The proposed method can be successfully applied to quantify morphine and its metabolites in several biological samples, covering the major routes of distribution, metabolism and elimination of morphine. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometric behavior of eight anabolic steroid glucuronides

Mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric behavior of eight anabolic steroid glucuronides were examined using electrospray (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in negative and positive ion mode. The objective was to elucidate the most suitable ionization method to produce intense structure specific product ions and to examine the possibilities of distinguishing between isomeric steroid glucuronides. The analytes were glucuronide conjugates of testosterone (TG), epitestosterone (ETG), nandrolone (NG), androsterone (AG), 5alpha-estran-3alpha-ol-17-one (5alpha-NG), 5beta-estran-3alpha-ol-17-one (5beta-NG), 17alpha-methyl-5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (5alpha-MTG), and 17alpha-methyl-5beta-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (5beta-MTG), the last four being new compounds synthesized with enzyme-assisted method in our laboratory. High proton affinity of the 4-ene-3-one system in the steroid structure favored the formation of protonated molecule [M + H]+ in positive ion mode mass spectrometry (MS), whereas the steroid glucuronides with lower proton affinities were detected mainly as ammonium adducts [M + NH4]+. The only ion produced in negative ion mode mass spectrometry was a very intense and stable deprotonated molecule [M - H]- . Positive ion ESI and APCI MS/MS spectra showed abundant and structure specific product ions [M + H - Glu]+, [M + H - Glu - H2O]+, and [M + H - Glu - 2H2O]+ of protonated molecules and corresponding ions of the ammonium adduct ions. The ratio of the relative abundances of these ions and the stability of the precursor ion provided distinction of 5alpha-NG and 5beta-NG isomers and TG and ETG isomers. Corresponding diagnostic ions were only minor peaks in negative ion MS/MS spectra. It was shown that positive ion ESI MS/MS is the most promising method for further development of LC-MS methods for anabolic steroid glucuronides.     

Direct-gradient high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis and preliminary pharmacokinetics of flumequine and flumequine acyl glucuronide in humans: effect of probenecid.

A gradient high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis for the direct measurement of flumequine, with its acyl glucuronide, in plasma and urine of humans has been developed. In order to prevent hydrolysis and isomerization of flumequine acyl glucuronide, the samples were acidified by the oral intake of four 1.2-g amounts of ammonium chloride per day. In contrast to the acyl glucuronides of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, flumequine and its acyl glucuronide were stable in urine of pH 5.0-8.0. Flumequine acyl glucuronide is unstable at pH 1.5. In acidic urine (pH 5-6), almost no flumequine is excreted unchanged (1%): it is excreted chiefly as acyl glucuronide (84.2%). Probenecid co-medication reduces the renal excretion rate of flumequine acyl glucuronide from 662 to 447 micrograms/min (p = 0.00080), but not the percentage of glucuronidation.     

HPLC-MS/MS identification of tryptophan-derived tetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives in food

Based on electrospray ionization – tandem mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) a method for separation and selective detection of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives (THC) was developed. Retro-Diels Alder (RDA) fragmentation of the tetrahydropyrido moiety resulted in the characteristic neutral loss of 73 amu for tryptophan-derived THC-3-carboxylates. Accordingly, Pictet-Spengler condensation products of tryptamin exhibited product ions formed by loss of 29 amu. However, THC-1-carboxylates as obtained by reaction of tryptamin with α-oxo acids also yielded product ions [M+H-73]⁺, apparently originating from the combination of RDA-cleavage plus subsequent decarboxylation. As result, one had to consider the possibility of false-positive identification of THC-3-carboxylates in presence of isomeric THC-1-carboxylates. In order to overcome these analytical pitfalls, the unequivocal identification of trace amounts of THC-3-carboxylates by HPLC-MS/MS required the chromatographic separation of isomeric THC prior to selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Utilizing SRM, limits of detection for various THC were established in the 10 ng mL^–1 range. Subsequent analysis of food samples like seasoning sauce and yeast extract by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS revealed the presence of tryptamin-derived 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid, 1-methyl-tetrahydro-β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid, 1-carboxyethyl-tetrahydro-β-carboline and 1-carboxyethyl-tetrahydro-β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid beside established THC-3-carboxylates and -1,3-dicarboxylates. Received: 31 July 1997 / Revised: 23 October 1997 / Accepted: 30 October 1997     

CCXVII. Separation and characterization of bile acid 3-glucuronides in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

The separation and characterization of unconjugated and conjugated bile acid 3-glucuronides in biological fluids without prior deconjugation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are described. A urine sample from a patient with obstructive jaundice was passed through a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge and was separated into groups by ion-exchange chromatography on a lipophilic gel, piperidinohydroxypropyl Sephadex LH-20, providing the glucuronide fraction. Subsequent resolution into individual 3-glucuronides was attained by HPLC on muBondapak C18 and Shodex ODS Pak F-411 columns. The 3-glucuronides of cholate, deoxycholate, chenodeoxycholate, glycocholate, glycochenodeoxycholate and taurochenodeoxycholate were identified on the basis of their behaviour in HPLC using mobile phases of different pH. The enzymatic hydrolysis of these glucuronides and derivatization of deconjugated bile acids with 1-anthroyl nitrile followed by chromatographic separation on a Cosmosil 5C18 column with fluorescence detection were carried out for unequivocal characterization. The ratio of unconjugated, glyco- and tauro-conjugated bile acid 3-glucuronides excreted in urine was found to be ca. 2:3:1.     

含羟基化合物及其葡萄糖醛酸苷类反相高效液相色谱法保留指数预测

采用体外孵有生物合成方法,获得葡萄糖醛酸耷类代谢物,并建立了其保留指数预测方法,在实验条件下,误差小于12％。     

Mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric behavior of nitrocatechol glucuronides: A comparison of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and electrospray ionization

The mass spectrometric (MS) and tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) behavior of six nitrocatechol-type glucuronides using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) was systematically studied, and the effect of operation parameters on the fragmentations are presented. The positive ion APCI- and ESI-MS spectra showed an intense protonated molecule and the respective negative ion spectra a deprotonated molecule with minimal fragmentation. The main fragment ions in the MS/MS spectra of the protonated and deprotonated molecules were [M + H - Glu]+ and [M - H - Glu]-, respectively, formed by the loss of the glucuronide moiety. The measured limits of detection indicated that ESI is a significantly more efficient ionization method than APCI in the negative and positive ion modes for the compounds studied. MS/MS was found to be less sensitive, but more reliable and simple than MS due to the absence of chemical noise.     

Synthesis of a series of phenylacetic acid 1-β-O-acyl glucosides and comparison of their acyl migration and hydrolysis kinetics with the corresponding acyl glucuronides

We report the synthesis of the 1-β-O-acyl glucoside conjugates of phenylacetic acid (PAA), R- and S-α-methyl-PAA and α,α'-dimethyl-PAA, and measurement of their transacylation and hydrolysis reactivity by NMR methods. These are analogues of acyl glucuronides, the transacylation kinetics of which could be important in adverse drug effects. One aim of this work was to investigate whether, as previously postulated, the free carboxylate group of the acyl glucuronides plays a part in the mechanism of the internal acyl migration. In addition, such acyl glucosides are known to be endogenous biochemicals in their own right and investigation of their acyl migration propensities is novel. Our previously described selective acylation procedure has proved highly successful for 1-β-O-acyl glucuronide synthesis and when subsequently applied to 6-O-trityl glucose, it gave good yields and excellent anomeric selectivity. Mild acidolysis of the O-trityl intermediates gave the desired acyl glucosides in excellent yield with essentially complete β-selectivity. Measurement of the acyl glucoside transacylation kinetics by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, based simply on the disappearance of the 1-β-isomer in aqueous buffer at pH 7.4, showed marked differences depending on the degree of methyl substitution. Further kinetic modelling of the isomerisation and hydrolysis reactions of the acyl glucosides showed considerable differences in kinetics for the various isomeric reactions. Reactions involving the -CH(2)OH group, presumably via a 6-membered ring ortho-ester intermediate, are facile and the α-glucoside anomers are significantly more reactive than their β-counterparts. By comparison with degradation rates for the corresponding acyl glucuronides, it can be inferred that substitution of the carboxylate by -CH(2)OH in the acyl glucosides has a significant effect on acyl migration for those compounds, especially for rapidly transacylating molecules, and that thus the charged glucuronide carboxylate is a factor in the kinetics.     

Novel method for high-performance liquid chromatography of azo derivatives of conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin

A method for the separation and quantitation of ethyl anthranilate or p-iodoaniline azo derivatives of bile pigments was developed using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. A convenient separation was achieved in 15 min, permitting the quantitation of the unconjugated azo-dipyrrole (alpha o) and its glucuronide (delta), xyloside (alpha 2) and glucoside (alpha 3) conjugates. The pathological beta- and gamma-azo pigments, derived from bilirubin glucuronide isomers that occur in cholestatic bile or plasma, are also detected in this system. The results of this method as applied to bile from 25 healthy dogs were in excellent agreement with the values obtained by reversed-phase chromatography of bilirubin and its mono- and dimethyl esters produced from the corresponding conjugates by alkaline methanolysis. This system permits the sensitive and convenient determination of bilirubin and its conjugation pattern in biological fluids.