An improved method for proteomics studies in C. elegans by fluorogenic derivatization, HPLC isolation, enzymatic digestion and liquid chromatography--tandem mass spectrometric identification

An improved method for proteomics studies, which includes the fluorogenic derivertization of protein mixtures with 7-chloro-4-(dimethylaminoethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DAABD-Cl), followed by HPLC isolation, enzymatic digestion and identification of the derivatized proteins by HPLC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS with the probability-based protein identification algorithm, identified 103 proteins in the soluble extract (10 microg protein) of Caenorhabditis elegans.     

Development of hydrophilic fluorogenic derivatization reagents for thiols: 4-(N-acetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole and 4-(N-trichloroacetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole

Sensitive, reactive, and hydrophilic fluorogenic reagents for thiols with the benzofurazan skeleton, 4-(N-acetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (AcABD-F) and 4-(N-trichloroacetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (TCAcABD-F) have been developed. These reagents reacted with thiols within 10 min at 60 degrees C. AcABD-F and TCAcABD-F themselves do not fluoresce but are strongly fluorescent after the reaction with thiol compounds. The generated derivatives were highly water-soluble, since they dissociated a proton and ionized in the neutral pH region. The derivatives with four biologically important thiol compounds were separated on a reversed-phase HPLC column and detected fluorometrically at 504 nm with excitation at 388 nm. The detection limit attained for homocysteine with AcABD-F was 25 fmol on column (11 nM) (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), and that for glutathione with TCAcABD-F was 45 fmol on column (20 nM).     

Fluorogenic reagent for thiols: 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulphonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole

4-(N,N-Dimethylaminosulphonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-F) was synthesised for use as a more reactive, thiol-specific fluorogenic reagent than 4-(aminosulphonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (ABD-F). The former had negligible fluorescence whereas its thiol derivatives fluoresced intensely at about 510 nm (excitation occurred at about 380 nm). The DBD-F reacted quantitatively with thiols after 10 min at 50 degrees C and pH 8.0 and the reaction rates were several times higher than those with ABD-F; it is suggested that the electron withdrawing effect of the dimethylsulphonamide group (SO2NMe2) is larger than that of the sulphonamide group (SO2NH2). No reaction occurred with alanine, proline, cystine or cysteic acid under the same conditions. The fluorescence intensities of the derivatives were found to be higher in neutral and acidic media than in alkaline solutions. The thiol derivatives of DBD-F were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and detected fluorimetrically, the detection limits being 0.92, 0.16, 0.13, 0.16 and 0.32 pmol for cysteine, glutathione, homocysteine, N-acetylcysteine and alpha-mercaptopropionylglycine, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of thiols in rat tissues.     

Determination of thiols and disulfides in normal rat tissues and hamster pancreas treated with N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine using 4-(aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole and ammonium 7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate

Biological thiols and disulfides in rat and hamster tissues were simultaneously determined by HPLC-fluorescence detection using 4-(aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (ABD-F) and ammonium 7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate (SBD-F). The coefficients of variation (CV) of the method for reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in liver and for cysteine (CySH) and cystine (CySSCy) in kidney were less than 3.1%. In 11 tissues of Wistar rats (liver, spleen, heart, lung, stomach, bladder, ovary, uterus, adrenal, kidney and pancreas), only CySH, CySSCy, GSH and/or GSSG were detected. Other thiols and disulfides were at extremely low levels in all samples. Both concentrations of CySH and CySSCy in the livers of old rats (111 weeks old, F344) were significantly higher than those of young rats (8 weeks old) (CySH, 0.246 +/- 0.099 vs 0.130 +/- 0.020 mumol/g; CySSCy, 0.051 +/- 0.027 vs 0.013 +/- 0.002 mumol/g). Administration of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP), a selective carcinogen of hamster pancreatic cancer, to Syrian golden hamsters (38 weeks old) resulted in the increase in the pancreas of GSH to a level 19 times as high and of GSSG to a level 14 times as high as those in untreated hamsters (GSH, 1.173 +/- 0.272 vs 0.062 +/- 0.017 mumol/g; GSSG, 0.155 +/- 0.063 vs 0.011 +/- 0.001 mumol/g).     

Synthesis and evaluation of fluorogenic reagents for simultaneous detection of peptides and proteins by HPLC in two different samples

To find the pairs of fluorogenic reagents having similar retention times in HPLC but with different fluorescent characteristics, six fluorogenic reagents bearing benzoxadiazole or benzoselenadiazole skeletons were synthesized. The resultant derivatives obtained from the reaction of peptides and proteins with reagents which have a benzoselenadiazole skeleton showed different fluorescence characteristics from those with a benzoxadiazole skeleton. Since each corresponding derivatives of trypsin inhibitor and BSA with DAABD-Cl and 7-fluoro-N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-2,1,3-benzoselenadiazole-4-sulfonamide (DEAEABSeD-F) have similar retention times, the pair of reagents was adopted for the sensitive simultaneous detection of proteins in two different samples. When the soluble fraction of mouse hippocampus was divided into the two samples (A and B), each was reacted with DEAEABSeD-F for A and DAABD-Cl for B, respectively. The two reaction solutions were combined and subjected to HPLC analysis with two fluorescent detectors in series (excitation and emission at different wavelengths for A and B, respectively). The resultant two chromatograms had quite similar patterns for each other. The new pair of fluorogenic reagents (DAABD-Cl and DEAEABSeD-F) would be applicable to proteomics studies using the previously reported FD-LC-MS/MS method.     

Determination of thiol compounds by HPLC and fluorescence detection with 1,3,5,7‐tetramethyl‐8‐bromomethyl‐difluoroboradiaza‐s‐indacene

Altered levels of thiols in biological fluids are considered to be an important indicator for several diseases. In this article, 1,3,5,7‐tetramethyl‐8‐bromomethyl‐difluoroboradiaza‐s‐indacene is proposed as a fluorescent derivatization reagent for the determination of thiols including glutathione, cysteine, N‐acetylcysteine, and homocysteine by HPLC. Under the optimized derivatization and separation conditions, a baseline separation of all the four derivatives has been achieved using isocratic elution on an RP C₈ column within 26 min. With fluorescence detection at 505 and 525 nm for the excitation and emission, respectively, the LODs (S/N = 3) are from 0.2 nM (glutathione) to 0.8 nM (cysteine). The feasibility of this method in real samples has been evaluated by the determination of thiols in human plasma from the healthy persons and hypertensive patients with recoveries of 92–105.3%.     

Sensitive determination of aliphatic amines by high-performance liquid chromatography with a new fluorogenic probe 3-(4-fluorinebenzoyl)-2-quinoline carboxaldehyde

A new fluorogenic reagent 3-(4-fluorinebenzoyl)-2-quinoline carboxaldehyde (FBQCA) has been synthesized and used as a derivatizing reagent for the determination of aliphatic amines with HPLC. The reagent is nonfluorescent, but forms highly fluorescent isoindole upon the reaction with primary amines in alkaline medium. Eleven amine derivatives were baseline separated in 8 min using a gradient elution on a C(8) column and detected with fluorescence detection at lambda(ex)/lambda(em) = 480/546 nm. The detection limits were in the range of 0.5-2 nM (S/N = 3). The proposed method has been successfully applied to the analysis of aliphatic amines in food and environmental samples, including white wine, soybean oil, soil, and tap water with satisfactory recoveries in the range of 94-106%.     

荧光衍生试剂1-［2-(对甲苯磺酸酯)乙基］-2-苯基咪唑［4,5-f］9,10-菲的合成及其在长链脂肪酸分析中的应用

合成了新的荧光衍生试剂1-［2-(对甲苯磺酸酯)乙基］-2-苯基咪唑［4,5-f］9,10-菲(TSEPIP),并将其作为柱前衍生化试剂,在Eclipse XDB-C8色谱柱上采用梯度洗脱实现了11种长链(C20~C30)游离脂肪酸(FFA)衍生物的基线分离。利用柱后在线的串联质谱并以大气压化学电离源（APCI）的正离子模式实现了各组分的质谱定性。对土壤及3种苔藓(东亚毛灰藓、锦丝藓、羽平藓)中FFA组分的定量结果表明,苔藓植物从土壤中富集了大量的长链游离脂肪酸。荧光检测的激发波长和发射波长分别为260 nm和380 nm。线性回归系数大于0.9996,检测限为26.19~76.67 fmol。所建立的方法具有良好的重现性,对实际样品的测定结果令人满意。     

Determination of acyclovir in horse plasma and body fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with fluorescence detection and heated electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Two methods are presented for the determination of 'respectively' the plasma protein unbound and total concentration of acyclovir in horse plasma and body fluids: first, a liquid-liquid extraction was performed on plasma, combined with HPLC-fluorescence detection for the total plasma concentration; second a more sensitive method using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with heated electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HESI-MS/MS) was described for plasma and for body fluids analysis. To obtain the unbound concentration of acyclovir in plasma, a simple deproteinization step using a Microcon filter was performed. Ganciclovir was used as an internal standard. Analysis was carried out on an Inertsil 5 ODS-3 column for the HPLC-fluorescence method. For the LC-HESI-MS/MS method a PLRP-S column was used. The limit of quantification (LOQ) for the total concentration was set at 50 and 2 ng mL(-1) for the HPLC-fluorescence method and the LC-HESI-MS/MS method, respectively. The limit of quantification for the unbound concentration was set at 5 ng mL(-1) and at 2 ng mL(-1) for body fluids. The methods were successfully used to perform pharmacokinetic and clinical studies in horses after intravenous and oral dosage of acyclovir and its prodrug valacyclovir.     

Column liquid chromatographic determination of carbadox and olaquindox in feeds.

A column liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of carbadox and olaquindox in swine feeds is described. The drugs were extracted from feeds with carbon tetrachloride-dimethylformamide (80:20) at 60 degrees C for 30 min. The extract was mixed with water (25:45). After centrifugation the aqueous layer was chromatographed on a reversed-phase column using gradient elution and ultraviolet detection at wavelengths of 305 and 262 nm. Recoveries from samples fortified at levels of 20-50 ppm were 92 +/- 9% for carbadox and 93 +/- 6% for olaquindox (means +/- standard deviations, n = 71).     

LC Determination of Thiols Derivatized with 4-(Aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole after SPE

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography?Cfluorescence detection (LC?CFL) was developed for the determination of three thiol compounds including glutathione, cysteine and acetylcysteine. 4-(Aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole was used for derivatization of thiols. Factors affecting derivatization and extraction efficiency were optimized. Sample solution (2?mL) was extracted on a SPE column for 2?min and then eluted with 400???L methanol. The analytes were injected onto the LC system for separation on a C₁₈ column, and eluted with methanol?Cacetate buffer. The analytes were detected by fluorescence at an emission wavelength of 515?nm with excitation at 385?nm. The linearity of the method was in the range of 0.1?C60???M, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9979 to 0.9990. The detection limits of the method were in the range of 5?C20?nM. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of human plasma samples with recoveries of 86?C112.9%.     

Field method for determination of traces of thiols in natural waters

Derivatization with 2,2′-dithiobis(5-nitropyridine) (DTNP) was used to stabilize thiols in field samples and to determine these compounds by liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet detection. Alternatively, the thiols can be regenerated from DTNP derivatives using tributylphosphine (TBP) and derivatized with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA). The DTNP derivatives were stable at pH 5 and 6 for more than 2 weeks in the reaction mixture, but the stability was considerably lower at pH values > 8. Derivatization at pH 6 was routinely done and the reaction was complete within 5 min. The derivatives can be extracted quantitatively on commercial C₁₈ cartridges, which allows several-fold sample enrichment. The cartridge-adsorbed derivatives are stable at 0–5 °C for long periods and, therefore, can be stored for LC separation at a later date. DTNP derivatives of ten low-molecular-weight thiols were separated on a C₁₈ microbore column using gradient elution and a flow-rate of 200 μl min^?1. The relative standard deviation based on repeated analyses of standards is about 5% in the range 0.5–2 nM. Without C₁₈ cartridge enrichment, the detection limits of the studied thiols are in the range 50–100 nM. These limits are further reduced by about 100-fold by using the OPA method after regeneration of thiols from the DTNP derivatives using TBP. Applications of the method to coastal sediment pore water and anoxic Black Sea water are illustrated.     

Simultaneous determination of thiols and disulfides by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

The proposed simultaneous determination of thiols and disulfides requires 4- (aminosulfonyl)- 7-fluor-2,1,3,-benzoxadiazole (ABD-F) as the pre-column derivatization reagent for thiols and ammonium 7-fluoro-2,1,3,-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate (SBD-F) for disulfides followed by chromatography. The thiols and disulfides in solution are treated with ABD-F at 60°C for 5 min in pH 9.3 borate buffer containing 1 nM disodium-EDTA. After removal of excess of ABD-F with ethyl acetate, the remaining disulfides in the aqueous phase are treated with SBD-F at 60°C for 20 min in the presence of tri-n-butylphosphine, a reducing agent. The ABD-thiols and SBD-thiols thus produced are separated by reversed-phase chromatography and detected by fluorimetry (380- nm excitation, 510 - nm emission). SBD-cystein, SBD-homocystein, ABD-homocysteine, ABD-cysteine, SBD-glu- tathione, ABD-homocystein, SBD-N-acetylcystein, ABD-glutatione and ABD-N-acetylcysteine are well separated by linear gradient elution from 0.15 M H₃PO₄/CH₃CN (96:4) to 0.15 M H₃PO₄/CH₃CN (85:15) over 30 min followed by isocratic elution with 0.15 M H₃PO₄/CH₃CN (85:15) fro 10 min. The detection limits for the derivatives are in the range 0.09–0.9 pmol. When the method was applied to the determination of thiols and disulfides in rat tissues, cystein (0.75 μmol g^-1) and cystine (0.62 μmol g^-1) were obtained in kidney and reduced glutathione (1.4–3.4 μmol g^-1) was observed in liver, spleen, heart and testicle.     

A simple method for nicardipine hydrochloride quantification in plasma using solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and sensitive reversed-phase liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the determination of nicardipine hydrochloride (NC) in rabbit plasma. Nicardipine hydrochloride and nimodipine, used as internal standard, were initially extracted from plasma by a rapid solid-phase extraction using C(18) cartridges. After extraction, nicardipine hydrochloride was separated by HPLC on a C(18) column and quantified by ultraviolet detection at 254 nm. A mixture of acetonitrile-0.02 M sodium phosphate buffer-methanol (45:40:15) with 0.2% of triethylamine of pH of 6.1 was used as mobile phase. The mean (+/-SD) extraction efficiency of NC was 77.56 +/- 5.4, 84.23 +/- 4.32 and 83.94 +/- 3.87% for drug concentrations of 5, 25 and 100 ng/mL, respectively. The method proved to be linear in the range of 5-100 ng/mL with a regression coefficient of 0.9993. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day analysis for NC in plasma were 3.26-6.52% (n = 5) and 4.71-9.38% (n = 5), respectively. The differences of the mean value measured from the concentration prepared, expressed in percentages (bias percentage), were only - 5.2, 0.4 and 0.8% at NC 5, 25 and 50 ng/mL, which confirmed the accuracy of the method. The analytical technique was used to determine NC plasma concentration after drug oral administration to rabbits. The results inferred that NC is rapidly absorbed in rabbits and has a short half-life (t(1/2) = 1.34 h).     

High-performance liquid chromatography/chemiluminescence determination of biological thiols with N-[4-(6-dimethylamino-2-benzofuranyl)phenyl]maleimide

The peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence detection of biological thiols combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. SH groups of the thiol compounds including glutathione (GSH), cysteine, N-acetylcysteine, cysteamine, and D-penicillamine were labelled with N-[4-(6-dimethylamino-2-benzofuranyl)phenyl]maleimide (DBPM), a specific fluorogenic reagent for SH group. The labelling reaction was carried out at 60 degrees C for 30 min and at pH 8.5 and a sample of the resulting reaction mixture was subjected to HPLC. Five kinds of labelled thiols were separated within 12 min on ODS-80 column (150 x 4.6 mm ID; 5 microns) and detected in the ranges from 500 fmol to 2 pmol/100 microL (cysteamine and N-acetylcysteine), to 3 pmol/100 microL (cysteine) and to 5 pmol/100 microL (GSH and D-penicillamine). The lower detection limits were from 7 fmol (cysteamine) to 113 fmol (GSH) per 100 microL (S/N = 2). The method was applied to the determination of thiols in a rat liver. The amounts of glutathione and cysteine were 1.23 +/- 0.15 mumol/g (n = 5) and 0.15 +/- 0.04 mumol/g (n = 5), respectively.     

Analysis of adenosine by RP-HPLC method and its application to the study of adenosine kinase kinetics

An RP-HPLC method for the analysis of adenosine (ADO) has been developed and validated. In the present study, we report an RP-HPLC-based method with modifications of mobile phase and shorter retention time that substantially improved the efficiency of ADO analysis. The HPLC separation of the ADO was achieved on a C18 column, using a mobile phase consisting of water, containing 7% v/v ACN, at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The column effluent was monitored by UV detection at 260 nm. A linear response was achieved over the concentration range of 0.25-100.00 micromol/L. The analytical method inter- and intra-run accuracy and precision were better than +/- 15%. The LOQ was 0.25 micromol/L, with ADO detection in the range of 6.25 pmol per sample. The method has been applied to the study of adenosine kinase (AK) kinetics.     

Sensitive determination of bisphenol A and alkylphenols by high performance liquid chromatography with pre-column derivatization with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole

A new and sensitive high-performance chromatographic method for the determination of bisphenol A and 8 alkylphenols with fluorescence detection is reported. Each phenol was derivatized by reaction with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole at 40 degrees C for 60 min. The fluorescence derivatives were separated on a Wakosil 5C18 column (4.0 i.d. x 300 mm, 5 microm) with methanol:water (10:90) as mobile phase (detection wavelength: lambda(ex) 336 nm, lambda(em) 440 nm). The detection limits were in the range of 0.1-10.0 pg/mL in serum. The calibration graphs were linear to 1.0 microg/mL. The relative standard deviations were 7.2-8.9%, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of bisphenol A in mother and infant rat serum.     

A CE‐LIF method based on long wavelength fluorescence labeling for the analysis of thiols in human urine

A rapid and robust CE method using a long wavelength fluorescent reagent 1,7‐dimethyl‐3,5‐distyryl‐8‐phenyl‐(2‐maleimide)difluoroboradiaza‐s‐indacene as the labeling reagent has been developed for the simultaneous determination of thiols, including glutathione, cysteine, homocysteine, N‐acetylcysteine, cysteinylglycine, and penicillamine. The derivatization reaction was carried out in 14 mmol/L pH 8.5 borate buffer at 30°C for 6 min and the labeled thiols derivatives were separated with the running buffer containing 30 mmol/L pH 7.4 phosphate, 30% v/v acetonitrile and 8 mmol/L SDS within 12 min. Detection limits ranged from 0.4 to 2.4 nmol/L. To demonstrate the capability of this method, it was applied to the analysis of thiols in human urine with recoveries of 92.4–105.6%. The derivatization reaction was much faster at milder conditions, and the analysis was rapider. Moreover, with excitation wavelength at long wavelength region, background interference from samples was reduced effectively. The present method seems to be a potential choice for quantifying thiols in human urine.     

Analysis of thiols by microchip capillary electrophoresis for in situ planetary investigations

The detection of thiols on extraterrestrial bodies could provide evidence for life, as well as a host of potential prebiological or abiological processes. Here, we report a novel protocol to analyze organic thiols by microchip CE with LIF detection. Thiols were labeled with Pacific Blue C5 maleimide and analyzed by MEKC. The separation buffer consisted of 15 mM tetraborate pH 9.2 and 25 mM SDS. The optimized method provided LODs ranging from 1.4 to 15 nM. The method was validated using samples collected from geothermal pools at Hot Creek Gorge, California, which were found to contain 2‐propanethiol and 1‐butanethiol in the nanomolar concentration range. These samples serve as chemical analogues to material potentially present in the reducing environment of primitive Earth and also at sulfurous regions of Mars. Hence, the protocol developed here enables highly sensitive thiol analysis in samples with complexity comparable to that expected in astrobiologically relevant extraterrestrial settings. This new protocol could be readily added to the existing suite of microfluidic chemical analyses developed for in situ planetary exploration; all that is required is the incorporation of two new reagents to the payload of an existing instrument concept.