Pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of peroxynitrite-treated melanins

Peroxynitrite—a strong oxidizing and nitrating agent—is thought to be a mediator of the cytotoxic action of nitric oxide in biological systems. There is some evidence that peroxynitrite-dependent processes may be involved in the pathomechanism of Parkinson's disease. Recently, it has been suggested that neuromelanin, present in the cytoplasm of nigrostriatal neurons, can act as natural scavenger of peroxynitrite. In this study the effect of peroxynitrite on the structure of synthetic models of human neuromelanin was investigated. Model neuromelanins, obtained from dopamine (DA) and/or 5-S-cysteinyldopamine (5-S-CysDA), were pyrolyzed at 770 °C before and after treatment with peroxynitrite and the thermal degradation products separated by gas chromatography were identified by mass spectrometry. After exposure to peroxynitrite, reduced content of the typical pyrolysis products accompanied by elevated levels of low molecular weight gases in the pyrolysates were observed. The changes in pyrolytic patterns were dependent on melanin type and peroxynitrite concentration. It was concluded that interaction with peroxynitrite causes extensive oxidative degradation of the analyzed pigments. This may be of great biological importance with regard to depigmentation of nigrostriatal neurons demonstrated in Parkinson's disease.     

Pyrolysis–gas chromatography mass spectrometry and field ionization mass spectrometry of polyquinones

Low- and high-molecular mass thermal decomposition products of five polyquinones with different linking aromatic structures have been analyzed by pyrolysis–gas chromatography and by direct (in-source) pyrolysis–field ionization mass spectrometry. The quantity of carboxyl groups present in the polymer is obtained by the amounts of carbon dioxide found by pyrolysis–gas chromatography. Assuming a radical thermal decomposition mechanism the distribution of ketoacidic and quinonoid segments along the macromolecular ladder could be estimated from the high-molecular mass products measured by pyrolysis–field ionization mass spectrometry. A random distribution of the two different segments was found for polyquinones with biphenylene and dibenzofuran subunits, while a structure built up of blocks of two or more identical segments was obtained for polyquinones with dibenzothiophene and diphenylmethane subunits. At the same time the anomalous structural moieties in the polyquinone ladders are also clarified with the help of the identification of the unexpected pyroysis products. Oxidated and bis-dibenzothiophene and bis-diphenylmethane subunits were found. The observed temperature dependence for the appearances of the thermal degradation products indicates that condensation and elimination reactions are taking place under the described pyrolysis conditions. Condensation in the ketoacidic segments forming new quinonoid segments proved to be important in the polymer which was a 100% poly(ketoacid), but negligible in the polyquinones containing ketoacidic segments up to 60%.     

Pyrolysis—gas chromatographic determination of run numbers in methyl methacrylate--styrene copolymers using the boundary effect

By considering the effect of neighbouring monomer units in depropagating polymer chain radicals on the formation of degradation products, a new boundary effect theory was developed in order to elucidate the sequence distributions in vinyl-type copolymers using the corresponding monomer yields. This theory was applied succesfully to the calculation of the sequence distributions in methyl methacrylate—styrene copolymers in terms of the run numbers. The significance of newly introduced parameters (monomer formation probability constants) is also discussed.     

Pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry applied to the identification of different states of polyaniline

Pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–CG/MS) has been applied to study and compare the composition of two electrochemically synthesized polyaniline (PANI) forms: fully reduced leucoemeraldine (LE) and intermediately oxidized emeraldine (EM). The different PANI forms were electrochemically synthesized using cyclic voltammetry. They were dedoped by stirring for 24 h in ammoniacal solutions. Leucoemeraldine and emeraldine pyrograms presented differences in the relative intensity of their fragment signals. Emeraldine pyrograms presented a higher relative intensity of the signals associated to oxidized fragments (i.e. quinone imine) than leucoemeraldine pyrograms. On the other hand, polymer samples synthesized under different anodic potentials showed small differences, consistent with a higher degree of crosslinking at higher anodic potentials. The results obtained indicate that Py–GC/MS may be used for identification among different oxidation states in aryl amine polymers.     

Pyrolysis–gas chromatographic analysis of chain branching in polyethylene

A system with flash pyrolysis and gas chromatography (PGC) which includes in-line hydrogenation and packed columns is described. Under optimal conditions of temperature programming and flow rate, a high degree of resolution was obtained over a broad range of fragment lengths. The system has been applied to the analysis of side groups and long branches in polyethylene. It was found that, for low concentration of branches, yield and distribution of the isoalkanes is very sensitive to the type of polymerization used to form the polyethylene. A great number of the single-branched isoalkanes have been identified by comparing their retention time with the scale of respective boiling points and by pyrolyzing well characterized ethylene-propylene copolymers. The pyrograms of the ethylene-propylene copolymers demonstrated that a C? C bond in an α- or β-position to a tertiary carbon cleaves about two times more readily than a C? C bond in a linear chain. It was further found that the branch length of the side chain is indicated by the identity of the fragments produced, and the probability of formation of these fragments is directly related to the possibility of a cyclic decomposition mechanism. From the high yields of 3- and 5-methylalkanes it was possible to detect about 20 ethyl and 10 n-butyl branches per thousand in a low-density polyethylene. Thus, pyrolysisgas chromatography has to be considered seriously as a method for the determination of branches, even when in present in low concentration (Ziegler-type polyethylene).     

High pressure liquid chromatography of standard and amniotic fluid phospholipids

A method for the HPLC separation of phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and sphingomyelin (SPH) was achieved using five in-series columns packed with LiChrosorb, Partisil, and μ-Porasil adsorbents, a solvent mixture of chloroform/methanol/ammonium hydroxide (50 : 36 : 6.7, by volume), and a Pye LCM2 Moving Wire (FID) detector. The same phospholipid mixture was also separated using four μ-Porasil columns with the same eluent and detector. The latter conditions were found to be suitable for the analysis of phospholipids obtained after centrifuging, extraction, and precipitation of surface-active lipid components of patient amniotic fluid collected at amniocentesis section. The lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratios, determined by the HPLC method, correlated well with those determined by the TLC technique in four normal pregnancies, whereas results of shake tests did not correlate too well with L/S ratios determined by the above two chromatographic methods. Besides the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio, the present method was able to supply additional information: the concentrations of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol, for prediction of fetal lung maturity, and the palmitic acid content of amniotic fluid phosphatidylcholine.     

Estimation of amniotic fluid phospholipids by high-performance liquid chromatography

We have developed a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the analyses of surface-active amniotic fluid phospholipids, lecithin (L), sphingomyelin (S), phosphatidyl glycerol (PG), phosphatidyl inositol (PI), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidyl serine (PS), which are important in the prediction of fetal lung maturity. The method incorporates an internal standard in the amniotic fluid extract, and utilizes a 10-microliter aliquot of a 2:1 chloroform-methanol extract of amniotic fluid injected onto a 5-micron DIOL or CN HPLC column, and a variable-wavelength detector set at 203 nm. Amniotic fluid phospholipid estimations were determined on 40 amniotic fluid samples by the HPLC method and by the routine thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method. Good agreement was observed between the two methods for the L/S ratio, PG, and PI (rPG 0.94, rPI 0.95, rL/S 0.97). The advantages of the HPLC procedure include: Selective separation for PG, PI, PS, and PE, as well as L and S at the same time. The internal standard allows individual concentration of phospholipids to be estimated. The procedure is rapid: 16 min for a single assay compared with 50 min for the standard TLC procedure.     

Determination of amino acids in human cerebrospinal fluid by gas chromatography

In the present study, the use of gas chromatography (GC) for the determination of amino acids in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is described. Although some amino acids may be determined using a packed column following the removal of glucose, the major interfering component, the inadequate resolution of other amino acids from remaining unidentified components results in poor quantitation. The use of wide bore columns improves reproducibility considerably, but still it does not provide sufficient resolution to enable quantitative determination of all amino acids in human CSF. Good reproducibility data, with CV values for all amino acids of 7% or less and recoveries generally between 80% and 100%, can only be obtained using the fused silica open tubular (FSOT) column. Normal amino acid levels are presented for 10 samples of human CSF, which compare well with data previously reported in the literature.     

Genotoxic effects of cadmium chloride on human amniotic fluid cells cultured in vitro

In this study we report the results of cytogenetic tests, namely a search for chromosome aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), performed on human amniotic fluid cells cultured and treated with Cadmium chloride. The cells from primary cultures were exposed to CdCl2 at 1 microM and 10 microM for 24 h. At the higher dose, no metaphases were scored and at the lower dose (1 microM) no effects were evident on cell proliferation, and no chromosome aberrations were found. In the subsequent experiments we used cells from subcultures exposed to 1 microM and 5 microM CdCl2. At the 5 microM dose was evident the induction of chromatid breaks, while the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges shows a small increase, not statistically significant at the dose of 1 microM. In this study we positively demonstrated that amniotic fluid cells grown in vitro are reliable for testing various mutagenic or teratogenic substances. With regard to cadmium treatment results, it is evident a clastogenic effect of cadmium chloride but not a significant induction of SCEs.     

Determination of bisphenol-A levels in human amniotic fluid samples by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals used widely in common consumer products. There is an increasing concern about human exposure to BPA, particularly in fetuses, due to the potential adverse effects related to the estrogenic activity of BPA. In assessing environmental exposure to BPA, it is essential to have a sensitive, accurate, and specific analytical method, particularly for low BPA levels in complex sample matrices. In this study, we developed and validated an accurate, sensitive, and robust liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for determining the BPA concentrations in human amniotic fluid (AF). In this method, BPA and the internal standards (13)C(12) -BPA were extracted from 500 μL of human AF using solid-phase extraction. Calibration curves were linear over a concentration range of 0.3-100 ng/mL for BPA. The analytes were quantitatively determined using LC-MS operated in a negative electrospray ionization selected ion monitoring mode. This validated method has been used successfully in the clinical sample analysis of BPA in second-trimester AF specimens.     

Applications of monolithic columns in gas chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

Porous monoliths are well‐known stationary phases in high‐performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrochromatography. Contrastingly, their use in other types of separation methods such as gas or supercritical fluid chromatography is limited and scarce. In particular, very few studies address the use of monolithic columns in supercritical fluid chromatography. These are limited to silica‐based monoliths and will be covered in this review together with an underlying reason for this trend. The application of monoliths in gas chromatography has received much more attention and is well documented in two reviews by Svec and Kurganov published in 2008 and 2013, respectively. The most recent studies, covered in this review, build on the previous findings and on further understanding of the influence of preparation conditions on porous properties and chromatographic performance of poly(styrene‐co‐divinylbenzene), polymethacrylate, and silica‐based monolithic columns while expanding to polymer‐based monoliths with incorporated metal organic frameworks and to vinylized hybrid silica monoliths. In addition, the potential application of porous layer open tubular monolithic columns in low‐pressure gas chromatography will be addressed.     

On-line multidimensional supercritical fluid chromatography/capillary gas chromatography

A new analytical technique combining on-line supercritical fluid chromatography with capillary gas chromatography has been developed. The supercritical fluid sample effluent is decompressed through a restrictor directly into a conventional capillary gas chromatographic injection port. This technique allows for not only direct (100%) sample transfer from the supercritical fluid chromatograph to the gas chromatograph but also for selective or multi-step heartcutting of various sample peaks as they elute from the supercritical fluid chromatograph. Heartcut times are determined by monitoring the responses from the flame ionization or ultraviolet absorbance detectors on the supercritical fluid chromatograph. This report describes the operational setup and provides the results of heartcut reproducibility experiments using normal hydrocarbon and aromatic test mixtures. Results from studies where operational parameters were varied, such as GC injector temperature, will also be provided. The potential usefulness of this new technique for selective heartcutting will also be demonstrated using complex hydrocarbon streams.     

Liquid crystal stationary phases for gas chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

Novel monomeric and polymeric liquid crystalline compounds were synthesized as stationary phases for gas chromatography (GC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Monomeric liquid crystalline compounds were used in packed column gas chromatography for the separation of isomeric aromatic compounds and insect sex pheromones. Liquid crystalline polymers possess long nematic ranges and a uniform coating was easily achieved in glass and fused silica capillaries, which could stand temperatures up to 250°C in GC and pressures of 200 MPa at 160°C in SFC. The columns provide excellent selectivity and resolution for fused ring aromatic compounds such as the isomers anthracene and phenanthrene or triphenylene and chrysene.     

Quantitative determination of phospholipids in amniotic fluid by high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary A new quantitative analytical method for the determination of phospholipids in amniotic fluid by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. In addition to the main compounds, phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) and sphingomyelin, the so-called minor phospholipids, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine can also be determined. Separation is achieved using a guard-column of Lichrosorb Si 60 and an analytical column of Lichrosorb DIOL. Acetonitrile/water is used as mobile phase at an elevated temperature. By determining the recovery rates, the within-run and the between-run precision, it was shown that sufficient accuracy and precision could be achieved for all the parameters examined. The method is highly sensitive, the detection limit for sphingomyelin is 0.2 μg and 0.1 μg for all the other components. A single determination of 5 phospholipids in an amniotic fluid sample takes about two hours. By performing simultaneous extractions it is possible to analyse 5 samples per day.     

Determination of polyamines in urine of normal human and cancer patients by capillary gas chromatography

A capillary gas chromatographic method is described for the determination of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) in the urine of normal human and cancer patients. Morning urine after acid hydrolysis is cleaned up on a silica gel column and derivatized with trifluoroacetic-anhydride. Creatinine in human urine is used as internal standard. Recoveries of polyamines are 96.7% putrescine, 102.6% spermidine (Spd), and 98.7% spermine. SD of the method for Spd is 1.949 +/- 0.041 (micrograms/mg creatinine, mean +/- SD, n = 5). The results show that the mean level of polyamines in cancer patients urine is much higher than that in normal human urine. The mean of total polyamines in the normal human and the cancer patients is 2.01 and 44.74, respectively (g/mg creatinine).     

The analysis of human amniotic fluid using capillary electrophoresis

This study has investigated the composition of amniotic fluid (AF) using capillary electrophoresis (CE). A detailed optimisation investigation was undertaken to obtain the best resolution of the major peaks in amniotic fluid. In the final method, capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) of AF was performed on a Hewlett Packard3D CE instrument using a fused-silica capillary of 44 cm total length (36 cm to the detector) with in internal diameter of 50 microm. The background electrolyte was 20 mM sodium tetraborate containing 0.8 mM EDTA adjusted to pH 9.0. AF was diluted 1 plus 1 with deionised water prior to hydrodynamic injection for 3 s at 50 mbar. The separation was performed at +22.5 kV and resulted in a current of 65 microA. The capillary temperature was 28 degrees C. Using this CZE method, some eight peaks were consistently resolved in AF samples and several other more transient peaks have been separated from AF in less than 10 min. A scheme for the identification of peaks once they had been separated was also developed. Four peaks have been identified as proteins, i.e., gamma-globulin, alpha1-antitrypsin, transferrin and albumin. Surprisingly, one major peak was shown to be the purine catabolite, xanthine.     

Synthesis of siloxane stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

A comparison is made between dichlorosilanes and cyclic siloxanes as starting materials in the synthesis of stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography (CGC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Siloxanes containing one or more of the side groups methyl, vinyl, phenyl, and cyanoethyl in various ratios were synthesized and compared. These phases were characterized by chromatographic (gel permeation, GPC), spectroscopic (IR, ¹H NMR, ²⁹Si NMR), and thermal (DSC) methods. Coated fused silica columns were evaluated with respect to polarity, crosslinkability with several free-radical initiators, and thermal stability. A new liquid phase, 7% cyanoethyl, 7% phenyl, 1% vinyl methyl polysiloxane is shown to be more polar than OV-1701, more temperature stable, easily crosslinked and suitable for use in supercritical fluid chromatography.     

Analysis of perchlorate, thiocyanate, nitrate and iodide in human amniotic fluid using ion chromatography and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Because of health concerns surrounding in utero exposure to perchlorate, we developed a sensitive and selective method for quantifying iodide, as well as perchlorate and other sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) inhibitors in human amniotic fluid using ion chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Iodide and NIS inhibitors were quantified using a stable isotope-labeled internal standards (Cl¹⁸O₄⁻, S¹³CN⁻ and ¹⁵NO₃⁻ with excellent assay accuracy of 100%, 98%, 99%, 95% for perchlorate, thiocyanate, nitrate and iodide, respectively, in triplicate analysis of spiked amniotic fluid sample). Excellent analytical precision (<5.2% RSD for all analytes) was found when amniotic fluid quality control pools were repetitively analyzed for iodide and NIS-inhibitors. Selective chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry reduced the need for sample cleanup, resulting in a rugged and rapid method capable of routinely analyzing 75 samples/day. Analytical response was linear across the physiologically relevant concentration range for the analytes. Analysis of a set of 48 amniotic fluid samples identified the range and median levels for perchlorate (0.057-0.71, 0.18 μg/L), thiocyanate (<10-5860, 89 μg/L), nitrate (650-8900, 1620 μg/L) and iodide (1.7-170, 8.1 μg/L). This selective, sensitive, and rapid method will help assess exposure of the developing fetus to low levels of NIS-inhibitors and their potential to inhibit thyroid function.