Determination of aluminum in serum by capillary zone electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Summary A novel method of separating and detecting trace aluminum by capillary zone electrophoresis is described. Aluminum is reacted with lumogallion [4-chloro-3-(2,4-dihydroxyphenylazo)-2-hydroxybenzen-1-sulphonic acid] so that the complex can be selectively and sensitively detected by a laser-induced fluorescence detector after capillary electrophoretic separation. Using the proposed method, limits of detection in the sub parts per billion range are achieved. The technique is applied to the determination of aluminum in human serum.     

Indirect laser-induced fluorescence detection of diuretics separated by capillary electrophoresis

Indirect LIF detection was applied to the detection of four acidic diuretics separated by CZE. Semiconductor laser was employed to provide the stable excitation of 473 nm. With an optimized electrophoretic buffer system which contained 5 mM of triethylamine, 0.1 microM of fluorescein, and 5% of n-butanol, fast separation of four diuretics (ethacrynic acid, chlorthalidone, bendroflumethiazide, and bumetanide) can be performed within 3 min with the detection limits of 0.2-2 microg/mL. The impacts of buffer components including the concentrations of the electrolytes, fluorescence probe, and the organic additives were demonstrated. The method was applied for the detection of diuretics in urine. As an alternative way for the fast analysis of diuretics, this indirect detection method provided the technical support for future microchip performances, in which diuretics may be detected in the microchip by the common LIF detector without derivatization.     

On-line wall-free cell for laser-induced fluorescence detection in capillary electrophoresis

A wall-free detection method based on liquid junction in a capillary gap was proposed for laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) of capillary electrophoresis (CE). The capillary gap of the wall-free cell was fabricated by etching a 10-mm × 50-μm I.D. fused-silica capillary to obtain a polyimide coating sleeve, decoating about 6 mm at one end of both 50 μm I.D. separation and liquid junction capillary, inserting the treated capillary ends into the coating sleeve oppositely, fixing the capillaries with a gap distance of 140 μm by epoxy glue and removing the coating sleeve by burning. The theoretical model, experimental results and wall-free cell images indicated that the gap distance and applied voltage were main influence factors on the wall-free detection. Since the wall-free cell increased the absorption light path and avoided the stray light from the capillary wall, it improved the ratio of signal to noise and limit of detection (LOD) of CE-LIF. Three flavin compounds of riboflavin (RF), flavin mononucleotide sodium (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide disodium (FAD) were used to evaluate the wall-free detection method. Compared with on-column cell, the LODs of the wall-free cell were improved 15-, 6- and 9-fold for RF, FMN and FAD, respectively. The linear calibration concentrations of the flavins ranged from 0.005 to 5.0 μmol/L. The column efficiency was in the range from 1.0 × 10⁵ to 2.5 × 10⁵ plates. The wall-free detection of CE-LIF was applied to the analysis of the flavins in spinach and lettuce leaves.     

Quantitative determination of oxidized carbon nanotube probes in yeast by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Short oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes were functionalized with fluorescein isothiocyanate to form carbon nanotube probes (CNTP). The distribution of CNTP in yeast was quantitatively determined by capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection. The detection sensitivity for CNTP was greatly improved comparing with UV absorbance and Raman detection. The time- and temperature-dependent influx patterns of CNTP into yeast were obtained. The apparent permeability coefficient for influx of CNTP into yeast was calculated, which suggested that CNTP might permeate into yeast through endocytosis. This study implies that CNTP could be a fine drug transporter and might be wildly used in multidrug resistance research and microorganism detection.     

Multiplexed microRNA detection by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence

In this study, we developed a novel assay that simultaneously detects multiple miRNAs (microRNAs) within a single capillary by combining a tandem adenosine-tailed DNA bridge-assisted splinted ligation with denaturing capillary gel electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence. This proposed method not only represents a significant improvement in resolution but also allows for the detection of multiple miRNAs within a single capillary based on the length differences of specified target bridge DNA. The assay's linear range covers three orders of magnitude (1.0 nM to 1.0 pM) with a limit of detection (S/N=3) as low as 190 fM (2.5 zmol). Five miRNAs of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were also detected in EBV-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, while they did not appear in non-virus infected cells. Moreover, the electropherogram indicated that the screening of isomiRs (isomer of miRNA) of BART2 by CE-LIF is feasible by our proposed method. The developed electrophoresis-based method for miRNA detection is fast, amplification-free, multiplexed and cost-effective, making it potentially applicable to large-scale screening of isomiRs.     

Quantification of luminally released serotonin in rat proximal colon by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) plays vital roles in regulating gastrointestinal functions. Thus, the detection of 5-HT in the gastrointestinal tract is of great importance for biomedical research, medical diagnosis, and pharmaceutical therapy. This paper presents a simple, sensitive, and fast method for the quantification of luminally released serotonin in the feces and tissues of the rat proximal colon by means of capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. 5-Carboxyfluorescein N-succinimidyl ester was used for precolumn derivatization of serotonin. The optimal separation and detection conditions were obtained with an electrophoretic buffer containing 60 mM borate (pH 8.90) and an air-cooled argon-ion laser (excitation at 488 nm, emission at 520 nm). The serotonin concentrations in the feces and tissues of proximal colons were analyzed with this method, and the average values of serotonin in the feces samples were 1.951 ± 0.446 ng/mg (male) and 2.095 ± 0.533 ng/mg (female) and 1.397 ± 0.267 ng/mg in rat proximal colon tissues. The results demonstrate that this method can accurately determine luminally released 5-HT in rats.     

Analysis of serotonin in brain microdialysates using capillary electrophoresis and native laser-induced fluorescence detection

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a major neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. In this work, a method for analyzing 5-HT in brain microdialysis samples using a commercially available capillary electrophoresis (CE) system has been developed. A pH-mediated in-capillary preconcentration of samples was performed, and after separation by capillary zone electrophoresis, native fluorescence of 5-HT was detected by a 266 nm solid-state laser. The separation conditions for the analysis of 5-HT in standard solutions and microdialysates have been optimized, and this method has been validated on both pharmacological and analytical bases. Separation of 5-HT was performed using a 80 mmol/L citrate buffer, pH 2.5, containing 20 mmol/L hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) and +30 kV voltage. The detection limit was 2.5 x 10(-10) mol/L. This method allows the in vivo brain monitoring of 5-HT using a simple, accurate CE measurement in underivatized microdialysis samples.     

Detection of recombinant hirudin using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Hirudin, a thrombin inhibitor, is a polypeptide of 65 amino acids. To check purity levels and perform pharmacokinetic studies of recombinant hirudin (r-hirudin), a specific and reproducible analysis method is required. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is rapidly becoming an important procedure for the analysis of biological molecules. Recently, CE combined with immunoassay has emerged as a new analytical technique. CE-based immunoassay (CEIA) is a sensitive and specific method combining laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and immunoassay. Therefore, in this study, we specifically investigated fluorescence labeling and determination of r-hirudin by CEIA with a LIF detector using labeled r-hirudin and polyclonal antibody. r-Hirudin was labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). FITC-labeled r-hirudin was purified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The method is based on preincubation of r-hirudin and antibody for 20 min, followed by CE analysis using an uncoated capillary. Free and bound r-hirudin were separated within 5 min using CE with high reproducibility. This study demonstrated that the CEIA method could be applied to quantitative analysis of r-hirudin in biological fluids.     

Inverse-flow derivatization for capillary electrophoresis of DNA fragments with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A novel method is presented to detect DNA fragments separated by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection using inverse-flow derivatization. In electrophoresis, the intercalating dye, thiazol orange was only added to the separation buffer at the positive polarity. The negatively charged DNA fragments migrated from the negative polarity to the positive polarity, while the positively charged dye migrated in the opposite direction. When DNA fragments met with dye ions, the DNA–dye complexes were formed. The complexes continued migrating to the positive end, due to their net negative charges. When the complexes passed through the detection window, the fluorescent signals were generated. Importantly, DNA fragments migrated as their native state before DNA–dye complexes were formed. This procedure was used to detect double stranded DNA (dsDNA) and single stranded DNA (ssDNA) fragments, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. The excellent resolution and good reproducibility of DNA fragments were achieved in non-gel sieving medium. This procedure may be useful in genetic mutation/polymorphism detections.     

细管电泳-激光诱导荧光检测用于多个胞内蛋白激酶的抑制剂筛选和选择性评价

发展了一种基于毛细管电泳(CE)-激光诱导荧光(LIF)检测的多个细胞内源激酶的抑制剂平行筛选及选择性评价方法。CE高效的分离能力和LIF检测器的高选择性,使得同时测试多个胞内激酶的活性成为可能。共4种细胞系、3种特异性蛋白激酶底物肽、2种选择性蛋白激酶抑制剂和1种非选择性蛋白激酶抑制剂用于方法的建立。特异性底物肽与细胞裂解液混合后孵育,被其相应的激酶选择性地磷酸化,利用CE-LIF分离检测磷酸化产物和底物肽。同时测定一个抑制剂对几种蛋白激酶的抑制活性,用于评价抑制剂的选择性。与传统的单靶标筛选模式相比,这种基于细胞裂解液的多靶标筛选方法能提供更多的信息,更加高效,且细胞裂解液作为一种廉价的激酶来源大大降低了筛选成本。     

Determination of metoprolol in rabbit blood using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

This work described a sensitive method for determination of metoprolol in rabbit plasma.The method involved purification by ultrafiltration,derivatization with fluorescein isothiocyanate,determination by capillary electrophoresis(CE) coupled with laser-induced fluorescence(LIF) detector.Other components in plasma including a variety of amino acids and proteins did not interfere with the determination of metoprolol in experimental condition.The assay had a wide range(2.0-500 ng/mL) of linearity and a detection limit of 0.8 ng/mL.The intra- and inter-day precisions were satisfactory with relative standard deviation(RSD) less than 10.0%and accuracy within 10.0%.This method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study of metoprolol in rabbit blood.     

Capillary electrophoresis of FITC labeled amino acids with laser-induced fluorescence detection

FITC labeled amino acids have been separated using a home-huilt capillary electrophoresis with a laserinduced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) system. Seventeen peaks can now be generated from the twenty common amino acids. The key conditions lie in the optimization of pH, buffer electrolytes and buffer additives.     

Determination of nitrocellulose by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

The industrial application of nitrocellulose depends on its nitrogen content. When nitrocellulose presents high nitrogen content is used in the manufacture of explosives whereas nitrocellulose with low nitrogen content is used to make a wide range of daily and non-explosive products (e.g. cigarettes, paints, lacquers). This fact makes really important to develop a method for the determination and discrimination of nitrocellulose samples. This work reports, for the first time, the qualitative determination of nitrocellulose previously derivatized with 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (APTS) by capillary electrophoresis (CE-LIF) with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). APTS-labeled nitrocellulose was determined in lowly and highly nitrated nitrocellulose samples present in collodions and smokeless gunpowders, respectively, after their pulverization in liquid nitrogen. The method described enables the visual discrimination of different nitrocelluloses on the basis of the different electrophoretic profiles obtained, and provides a useful tool to determine nitrocellulose. Additionally, the use of field-amplified sample injection (FASI) enabled enhanced sample detection, which made it possible to determine nitrocellulose contained in ∼15 μg of gunpowder.     

Six orders of magnitude dynamic range in capillary electrophoresis with ultrasensitive laser-induced fluorescence detection

An ultrasensitive laser-induced fluorescence detector was used with capillary electrophoresis for the study of 5-carboxy-tetramethylrhodamine. The raw signal from the detector provided roughly three orders of magnitude dynamic range. The signal saturated at high analyte concentrations due to the dead time associated with the single-photon counting avalanche photodiode employed in the detector. The signal can be corrected for the detector dead time, providing an additional order of magnitude dynamic range. To further increase dynamic range, two fiber-optic beam-splitters were cascaded to generate a primary signal and two attenuated signals, each monitored by a single-photon counting avalanche photodiode. The combined signals from the three photodiodes are reasonably linear from the concentration detection limit of 3 pM to 10 μM, the maximum concentration investigated, a range of 3,000,000. Mass detection limits were 150 yoctomoles injected onto the capillary.     

Separation and determination of carnosine-related peptides using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was developed for the separation and detection of carnosine-related peptides (carnosine, anserine, and homocarnosine). A sensitive and fluorogenic regent, 3-(4-carboxybenzoyl) quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (CBQCA) was selected as a precapillary labeling reagent for imidazole dipeptides to form isoindole derivatives. The optimized molar ratio between CBQCA and peptide was found to be 75:1, and 50 mmol/L borate buffer (pH 9.2) was used for the derivatization in order to achieve good efficiency. Three imidazole dipeptides were baseline-separated within 20 min by using 112 mmol/L sodium borate (pH 10.4-10.8) as running buffer. Concentration detection limits (signal-to-noise ratios) for carnosine, anserine, and homocarnosine were 4.73, 4.37, and 3.94 nmol/L, respectively. This method has been applied to the analysis of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and meat dry powder of pig and sheep. Recoveries were in the range of 82.9-104.8% for homocarnosine in CSF. For carnosine and anserine, the recoveries are 98.3% and 80.2% in meat dry powder of pig and 111.2% and 112.8% in meat dry powder of sheep, respectively.     

Ultrasensitive detection of indoleamines by combination of nanoparticle-based extraction with capillary electrophoresis/laser-induced native fluorescence

For the first time, citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (citrate-AuNPs) have been used for the selective extraction of indoleamines – 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), tryptophan (Trp), tryptamine (TA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) – prior to their analysis by capillary electrophoresis/laser-induced native fluorescence (CE/LINF). The extinction spectra obtained for the citrate-AuNPs in the presence of indoleamines revealed that 5-HTP, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA were extracted mainly because of van der Waals interactions between the indole ring and the citrate-AuNPs (hydrophobic surface), while 5-HT and TA were extracted by electrostatic attractions between the amine group of the indoleamines and the citrate ligands adsorbed on the AuNP surface. The extracted indoleamines could be liberated from the AuNP surface by the addition of high concentrations of 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), which binds strongly to the AuNPs. The sensitivity of this method to indoleamines could be significantly enhanced by increasing the AuNP concentration, incubation time, and sample volume. Under optimal extraction and separation conditions, the combination of NP-based extraction and CE-LINF provided 48-, 4077-, 985-, 920-, and 4030-fold improvements in the limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for 5-HTP, Trp, TA, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA as compared to the analysis of five indoleamines by CE-LINF. In addition, this proposed method was successfully used for the determination of TA and 5-HT in urine.     

Silica nanoparticles for separation of biologically active amines by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced native fluorescence detection

This paper describes the analysis of biologically active amines by capillary electrophoresis (CE) in conjunction with laser-induced native fluorescence detection. In order to simultaneously analyze amines and acids as well as to achieve high sensitivity, 10 mM formic acid solutions (pH < 4.0) containing silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) were chosen as the background electrolytes. With increasing SiNP concentration, the migration times for seven analytes decrease as a result of increase in electroosmotic flow (EOF) and decrease in their electrophoretic mobilities against EOF. A small EOF generated at pH 3.0 reveals adsorption of SiNPs on the deactivated capillary wall. The decreases in electrophoretic mobilities with increasing SiNP concentration up to 0.3x indicate the interactions between the analytes and the SiNPs. Having a great sensitivity (the limits of detection at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3 of 0.09 nM for tryptamine (TA)), high efficiency, and excellent reproducibility (less than 2.4% of the migration times), this developed method has been applied to the analysis of urinal samples with the concentrations of 0.50 +/- 0.02 microM, 0.49 +/- 0.04 microM, and 74 +/- 2 microM for TA, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and tryptophan, respectively. The successful examples demonstrated in this study open up a possibility of using functional nanoparticles for the separation of different analytes by CE.     

Profiling of erythropoietin products by capillary electrophoresis with native fluorescence detection

The potential of CE with native fluorescence detection (Flu) for the profiling of the therapeutic protein erythropoietin (EPO) was studied. EPO is a highly heterogeneous glycoprotein comprising a large number of isoforms. CE was applied to induce separation among the various glycoforms. Native Flu of EPO provided high detection selectivity yielding good signal‐to‐noise ratios and stable baselines, particularly when compared to conventional UV absorbance detection. In order to enhance EPO isoform resolution, CE was performed using a capillary with a neutral coating in combination with a simple BGE of 2.0 M acetic acid (pH 2.1). CE‐Flu analysis of the EPO biological reference preparation of the European Pharmacopeia resulted in a highly detailed glycoform profile. Migration time RSDs for selected EPO isoforms were less than 0.22% and 0.80% for intraday and interday repeatability, respectively. RSDs for relative peak intensity of the major EPO isoforms were less than 3%. The achieved resolution, migration time stability, and sensitivity allowed discrimination of different EPO products (EPO‐α and EPO‐β) based on the recorded glycoform pattern. The developed CE‐Flu method is relatively straightforward, and shows potential for quality control in biopharmaceutical production.     

Quantification of glutathione and glutathione disulfide in human plasma and tobacco leaves by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A new capillary electrophoresis (CE) method with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was developed for the rapid separation and sensitive detection of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSH) after derivatization by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazol (NBD-Cl). The derivatization and separation conditions were investigated in detail and the optimums were obtained. Under the optimum experiment conditions, linear relationships between the peak height and concentrations of the analytes in normal and second-derivative electrophoregrams were obtained (0.22-45.00 μM). The detection limits for glutathione and glutathione disulfide in normal and second-derivative electrophoregrams were 0.046 and 0.012 μM and 0.046 and 0.014 μM, respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of glutathione and glutathione disulfide in human plasma and tobacco leaves with satisfactory results.     

Protein labeling with red squarylium dyes for analysis by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Two new red luminescent asymmetric squarylium dyes (designated "Red-1c and Red-3") have been shown to exhibit absorbance shifts to longer wavelengths upon the addition of protein, along with a concomitant increase in fluorescence emission. Specifically, the absorbance maxima for Red-1c and Red-3 dyes are 607 and 622 nm, respectively, in the absence of HSA, and 642 and 640 nm in the presence of HSA, making the excitation of their protein complexes feasible with inexpensive and robust diode lasers. Fluorescence emission maxima, in the presence of HSA, are 656 and 644 nm for Red-1c and Red-3, respectively. Because of the inherently low fluorescence of the dyes in their free state, Red-1c and Red-3 were used as on-column labels (that is, with the dye incorporated into the separation buffer), thus eliminating the need for sample derivatization prior to injection and separation. A comparison of precolumn and on-column labeling of proteins with these squarylium dyes revealed higher efficiencies and greater sensitivities for on-column labeling, which, when conducted with a basic, high-salt content buffer, permitted baseline resolution of a mixture of five model proteins. LOD for model proteins, such as transferrin, alpha-lactalbumin, BSA, and beta-lactoglobulin A and B, labeled with these dyes and analyzed by CE with LIF detection (CE-LIF) were found to be dependent upon dye concentration and solution pH, and are as low as 5 nM for BSA. Satisfactory linear relationships between peak height (or peak area) and protein concentration were obtained by CE-LIF for this on-column labeling method with Red-3 and Red-1c.