高效液相色谱法测定人体红细胞中儿茶酚氧位甲基转移酶的活性

 采用高效液相色谱紫外检测法测定人体红细胞中儿茶酚氧位甲基转移酶 (COMT)的活性。以 3,4 二羟基苯甲酸 (DBA)作为酶反应底物 ,S 腺苷甲硫氨酸 (SAM)作为甲基供体 ,在镁离子的存在下 ,将SAM上的甲基转移到DBA 3位的氧上。色谱法测定反应产物 4 羟基 3 甲氧基苯甲酸 (4 OH 3 MBA)的生成量。人体红细胞中COMT活性的线性范围在 1U/mL～ 6 0U/mL ,最低检测限为 0 5U/mL(S/N≥ 5 ) ,方法的精密度良好 (平均RSD <10 % )。     

L-dopa as substrate for human duodenal catechol-O-methyltransferase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) activities were determined in human gastrointestinal samples. L-dopa was used as the substrate and the reaction products 3-O-methyldopa (3OMD) and dopamine were separated by reversed phase HPLC and detected by electrochemical or UV detection. COMT activities varied between 40-350 pmol/mg/min and AADC activities between 100-3300 pmol/mg/min in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. COMT inhibitors nitecapone (OR-462) and OR-611 effectively inhibited human gastrointestinal COMT activity in vitro, the IC50 values ranging from 10-20 nM and 5-75 nM, respectively. In vitro carbidopa inhibited AADC slightly more effectively than benserazide.     

A rapid assay method for catechol-O-methyltransferase activity by flow injection analysis

A rapid assay employing flow injection analysis (FIA) to determine the activity of purified catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) from porcine liver is described. The method was based on the determination of normetanephrine, the 3-O-methyl metabolite of the substrate norepinephrine. Excess norepinephrine was removed from the incubation mixture by alumina extraction twice to allow normetanephrine to be subjected to flow injection analysis, coulometrical oxidation, fluorogenic reaction with ethylenediamine and fluorescence detection. K(m) and V(max) values for COMT obtained with the system were 503 microM and 4.51 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. The method is suitable for screening of COMT inhibitors or activators, as a large number of samples, up to 200, can be processed in one working day.     

A new approach on the purification of recombinant human soluble catechol-O-methyltransferase from an Escherichia coli extract using hydrophobic interaction chromatography

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a significant target in protein engineering due to its role not only in normal brain function but also to its possible involvement in some human disorders. In this work, a new approach was employed for the purification of recombinant human soluble COMT (hSCOMT) using hydrophobic interaction chromatography, as the main isolation method, from an Escherichia coli culture broth. A simplified overall process flow is proposed. Indeed, with an optimized heterologous expression system for recombinant hSCOMT production, such as E. coli, it was possible to produce and recover the active monomeric enzyme directly from the cell crude culture broth either by a freeze/thaw or ultrasonication lysis step. The recombinant enzyme present in the bacterial soluble fraction, exhibited similar affinity for epinephrine (K(m) 276 [215; 337] microM) and the methyl donor (S-adenosyl-L-methionine, SAMe) (K(m) 36 [30; 41]microM) as human SCOMT. After the precipitation step by 55% of ammonium sulphate, a HIC step on the butyl-sepharose resin was found to be highly effective in selectively eluting a range of contaminating key proteins present in the concentrate soluble extract. Consequently, the partially purified eluate from HIC could then be loaded and polished by gel filtration in order to increase the process efficiency. The final product appeared as a single band in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The procedure resulted in a global 10.9-fold purification with a specific activity of 5500 nmol/h/mg of protein. The widespread applicability of the process, here described, to different COMT sources could make this protocol highly useful for all studies requiring purified and active COMT proteins.     

A novel amperometric method for antioxidant activity determination using DPPH free radical

A new method for the determination of antioxidant activity based on the amperometric reduction of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) at the glassy carbon electrode is proposed. All experiments were done in three-electrode electrochemical cell at 140 mV vs. Hg(2)Cl(2) | 3 M KCl using ethanolic solution (phi=40%) and 0.033 M KCl in 0.033 M phosphate buffer, pH=7.4. The linear range obtained for Trolox in 100 microM DPPH ethanol-water solution was up to 30 microM, with a limit of detection of 0.05 microM. The developed method was applied for the evaluation of antioxidant activity of some water or ethanol soluble pure compounds of antioxidants and of the samples of tea, wine and some other beverages. The good correlation of measurements (R(2)=0.9993) expressed as Trolox equivalent was obtained between the proposed amperometric method and classic spectroscopic method.     

Bioanalytical chromatographic methods for the determination of catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors in rodents and human samples: A review

In the past years, it has been recognised that the levodopa therapy may be improved with therapeutic regimens including a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor. At the present time, tolcapone and entacapone are the only two COMT inhibitors available in the market. However, further COMT inhibitors are under development for Parkinson's disease, namely nebicapone and opicapone (formerly known as BIA 9-1067). In addition, the nitecapone, another well-known COMT inhibitor, is also in preclinical development but for neuropathic pain. Since the 1990s different liquid chromatography methods have been developed and validated to quantify tolcapone, entacapone, nitecapone, nebicapone and some metabolites in biological samples, particularly in plasma samples obtained from rodent and human species. These bioanalytical methods have been primarily used to support pharmacokinetic assays with such COMT inhibitors in non-clinical and clinical studies. As these inhibitors present hydrophobic groups in their chemical structures, reversed-phase liquid chromatography has been used as the major approach for the determination of such compounds, especially high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV), electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) and mass spectrometry detection (HPLC–MS). Regarding the sample preparation, the traditional liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) were also the most widely used procedures for extraction of the analytes of interest prior to the analysis of samples. Thus, this review aimed to gather, for the first time, sufficient background information about the bioanalytical chromatographic methods which have been already developed and applied for the determination of tolcapone, entacapone, nitecapone, nebicapone and their metabolites. Moreover, some pharmacokinetic aspects of the COMT inhibitors with interest from a bioanalytical perspective were also addressed.     

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity by flow injection analysis method with electrochemically generated ABTS radical cation

A Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) decolourisation assay was adapted to a flow injection analysis (FIA) system and a simple and rapid method for antioxidant activity evaluation was developed. To avoid the time consuming step of 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS) radical cation preparation by chemical oxidation of ABTS, as in the original TAEC assay, and hence, to shorten the analysis time, the ABTS radical cation was generated on-line by electrochemical oxidation of ABTS in the flow-through electrolysis cell forming a part of the FIA system. The proposed method was optimised with respect to a flow rate, injection volume and ABTS radical cation/carrier ratio. Under the optimised conditions linear calibration graphs for Trolox were obtained over the range 10-100 microM, with a limit of detection 1.6 microM. Good reproducibility (relative standard deviation 1.95%) and sample throughput (32 samples per hour) were achieved. The developed method was applied to the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of pure compounds and samples of some common beverages. In both cases a good correlation between the results obtained by the proposed method and TEAC values evaluated by the classic TAEC decolourisation assay was obtained (r(2)= 0.996 for pure compounds and r(2)= 0.957 for beverage samples).     

A method for the measurement of catechol-O-methyltransferase activity using norepinephrine, an endogenous substrate

We propose a highly sensitive method for the measurement of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity with norepinephrine (NE), an endogenous native substrate. The product, normetanephrine, was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence reaction detection or, if required, less sensitive fluorescence detection. For the measurement of membrane-bound (MB)-COMT activity in the rat erythrocyte, the HPLC-peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence reaction detection was employed. Soluble (S)- and MB-COMT activities in the rat erythrocyte were 22.9 +/- 2.5 and 4.62 +/- 1.23 pmol min-1 (mg protein)-1, respectively (n = 5). The Km values obtained for S- and MB-COMT were 366 +/- 31 mumol l-1 and 12.0 +/- 1.1 mumol l-1, respectively (n = 5), suggesting that the use of NE as a substrate would give more precise information on the role of both isoenzymes. However, with dihydroxybenzoic acid as an artificial substrate, the Km values for S- and MB-COMT were similar, with values of 69.2 +/- 11.4 mumol l-1 and 72.2 +/- 9.2 mumol l-1, respectively. The proposed method is thought to be useful for the measurement of both S-COMT and MB-COMT activities, and would give us critical information on the role of metabolism of catecholamines in rat tissues.     

The effect of temperature on the analysis of metanephrine for catechol-O-methyltransferase activity assay by HPLC with electrochemical detection

The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays an important role in the metabolism of catechol estrogens and degradation of the catecholamine neurotransmitters, such as epinephrine. Several analytical methods, mainly high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical amperometric detection, have been reported for the analysis of catecholamines and their metabolites in biological fluids. In this paper we report the relevance of controlling temperature in calibration procedures of metanephrine, an O-methylated product of catechol-O-methyltransferase, using epinephrine as substrate. The results at higher temperatures show shorter retention times of metanephrine, no undue band-broadening and increased electro signals. This study also showed that, despite different temperatures leading to similarly specific activities of recombinant human COMT as expected, there are additional advantages in flow analytical methods where good sensitivity, efficiency and selectivity is required, mainly in tissues with low levels of COMT activity.     

High-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescent assay of catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in rat brain

A method to measure catechol- O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity using high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection with norepinephrine (NE) as a natural substrate was optimized for both soluble (S-) and membrane-bound (MB-) COMT activities in rat brain areas, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, brain stem, hypophysis, and hypothalamus. The highest S-COMT activity in Sprague-Dawley rat brain was found in hippocampus. MB-COMT activities in all brain areas were about 3-8 times lower than S-COMT activities. However, considering Vmax/ Km values, specificity constants for NE to S- and MB-COMT contributes mainly to the metabolism of NE in cerebral cortex and cerebellum.     

A Ready‐to‐Use Electrochemical Kit Design for the Diagnosis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms

In this study, for the first time a model electrochemical kit was constructed for the detection of a functional polymorphism in catechol‐O‐methyl transferase (COMT) gene which is important for diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders as Alzheimer disease. The disposable pencil graphite electrode (PGE) is designed as a “kit” and the probe DNA covered PGE can detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from real samples based on the guanine oxidation signal even after 5 months of kit preparation (150 days durability).The detection limit (S/N=3) of the biosensor was calculated as 1.18 pmol of synthetic target sequence and 6.09×10⁵ molecules of real samples in 30 min detection time.     

New high-performance liquid chromatographic method for sensitive determination of pheomelanin in biological materials by precolumn fluorescence derivatization with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde

Pheomelanin is an important type of melanin distributed in the skin, eye and hair in the mammal, which is of great social, clinical and cosmetic significance. In this study, a new HPLC method with fluorescence detection is described originally for the sensitive determination of pheomelanin in biological materials. The pheomelanin polymer is decomposed into two specific degradation products, 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylalanine (3-AHP) and 4-amino-3- hydroxyphenylalanine (4-AHP) with hydriodic acid. Then the two AHP isomers are derivatized using a fluorescent probe naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde in the presence of cyanide. The resulting highly stable 2-substituted 1-cyanobenz[f] isoindole derivatives were separated on a 5NH(2)-MS aminopropyl packed HPLC column with binary isocratic elution profile and detected fluorimetrically. The assay shows high sensitivity of 0.11nM (2.2fmol per injection, the lowest reported) at signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for each AHPs, good accuracy and precision (RSDs<3.1%), and linearity (range of 0.02-10microM, r>0.995). The results obtained by using fluorescence detection have been compared with other detection systems (electrochemical and UV). The sensitivity can increase from 100 to respect electrochemical detection and 30000 times respect UV detection. The method has been used for the quantitative determination of pheomelanin in various biological samples, including cell cultures from five types of melanoma cell lines of human and rat origin, hair samples of various colors, melanoma tissue and the urines from human melanoma patients and healthy subjects. This original application of HPLC-fluorescence detection represents a powerful tool for investigating pheomelanin synthesis in vitro and in vivo under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.     

Disposable amperometric sensor for neurotransmitters based on screen-printed electrodes modified with a thin iridium oxide film.

Potential cycling in the range from -0.2 to +1.2 V is used for the electrodeposition of hydrous iridium oxide films onto a screen-printed electrode from a saturated solution of alkaline iridium(III) solution. The iridium oxide redox couple shows a stable and obvious reversible redox, with the formal potential being pH dependent in the range 1-14. The properties, stability and electrochemical properties of iridium oxide films were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. A modified electrode showed excellent catalytic activity toward the oxidation of neurotransmitters (catecholamines) over a wide pH range (2-8). The electrocatalytic behavior is further exploited as a sensitive detection scheme for adrenaline and dopamine by hydrodynamic amperometry. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curves are linear in the concentration range 0.1-70 and 0.1-15 microM for dopamine and adrenaline determination, respectively. The detection limit and sensitivity are 30 nM and 30 nA/microM for adrenaline and 15 nM and 80 nA/microM for dopamine. Finally, the analytical performance of the modified electrode was demonstrated for the elimination of interference by uric acid in catecholamines determination when present in a 1000-fold concentration excess.     

High performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector in the cathodic mode as a tool for the determination of p-nitrophenol and assay of acid phosphatase in urine samples

Utilizing a commercially available helium-purging device and PEEK tubes for all tubing, especially for connection between the mobile phase and pump, high performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector (ECD/HPLC) at the cathodic mode is a simple and precise method for the determination of p-nitrophenol (NP). Studies with cyclic and hydrodynamic voltammetry indicated that 25% aqueous MeOH containing 0.1% (v/v) CF(3)CO(2)H and -0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl are the best mobile phase and detection potential for cathodic ECD/HPLC. With the present system, the limits of detection and determination were 0.2 and 0.25 microM, respectively, and up to 50 microM, a linear calibration curve was afforded. Within-day precisions for the analysis of 5 and 50 microM NP were 0.8 and 0.7% (n=6), respectively, and between-day precisions (n=6) for these samples were 3.5 and 2.2%, respectively. Compared with the commonly used Bessey-Lowry-Brock method, cathodic ECD/HPLC was useful for the assay of acid phosphatase in urine samples with p-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt as a substrate.     

Structure-based design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of bisubstrate inhibitors for catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT)

The enzyme catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) catalyzes the Me group transfer from the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the hydroxy group of catechol substrates. Potential bisubstrate inhibitors of COMT were developed by structure-based design and synthesized. The compounds were tested for in vitro inhibitory activity against COMT obtained from rat liver, and the inhibition kinetics were examined with regard to the binding sites of cofactor and substrate. One of the designed molecules was found to be a bisubstrate inhibitor of COMT with an IC50 = 2 microM. It exhibits competitive kinetics for the SAM and noncompetitive kinetics for the catechol binding site. Useful structure-activity relationships were established which provide important guidelines for the design of future generations of bisubstrate inhibitors of COMT.     

Simultaneous analysis of catechol‐O‐methyl transferase activity,S‐adenosylhomocysteine and adenosine

Novel HPLC method utilizing UV‐detection was developed to analyse catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) products, vanillic acid and isovanillic acid, S‐adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and adenosine formed from dihydroxybenzoic acid and S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine (SAM) by incubation of the rat tissues. Entacapone, a COMT inhibitor, prevented the formation of SAH only partially in the striatal homogenate whereas in the kidney homogenate the increase of SAH was prevented by entacapone. In conclusion, this method was reliable, rapid and simple. COMT seemed to be partially responsible on the SAM utilizing methylations in the striatal homogenates while in the high COMT activity tissue, COMT was the main SAH producing methyltransferase. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Separation and simultaneous determination of uric acid and ascorbic acid on a dynamically modified poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip.

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic channels alternately modified by poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) were successfully used to separate uric acid and ascorbic acid. Results show that uric acid and ascorbic acid can be well separated and detected simultaneously in modified microchips coupled with in-channel electrochemical detection. Under the optimal conditions, the linear ranges of uric acid and ascorbic acid were both from 25 to 600 microM, with the correlation coefficients of 0.997 and 0.996, respectively. The detection limits were 8 microM for uric acid and 5 microM for ascorbic acid. Factors influencing separation and detection, including buffer solution, detection potential and separation voltage, were investigated and optimized. In addition, the dependences of the current response on sensitivity and reproducibility were studied, and the stability of the device was also evaluated in detail. This method was successfully used to determine uric acid and ascorbic acid in human urine.     

Determination of vanilmandelic acid in urine by coupled-column liquid chromatography combining affinity to boronate and separation by anion exchange

An automated liquid chromatographic method for assaying vanilmandelic acid in urine is described. Vanilmandelic acid and potential interfering substances, such as catechol compounds and their metabolites, have been tested for affinity to boronic acid-substituted silica at various pH values. Vanilmandelic acid and the internal standard, isovanilmandelic acid, were bound to the boronate matrix at an acidic pH, whereas for instance catecholamines were unretained and passed through the column. The alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids were then desorbed by another mobile phase (pH 6.0) and transferred to an anion exchanger for chromatography and electrochemical detection. A relative standard deviation of 2.8% was obtained for the analysis of human urine samples containing 6.6 microM vanilmandelic acid.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation and indirect fluorescence detection of thiols

A fluorescent post-column reaction detection scheme has been devised for selective determination of thiols. The post-column reagent is 40 microM Cd2+ and 100 microM 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (HQS) in non-complexing buffer at pH 10. HQS complexes Cd2+ to form a fluorescent product. Thiols in the HPLC effluent compete for complexation of the Cd2+, resulting in a decrease in the fluorescence response. Detection limits of 0.2 microM (0.04 ppm) are achieved for cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione in a 5 min separation. Recoveries from spiked synthetic urine samples are 87-120%.     

Nanostructure-based electrochemical sensor for determination of glutathione in hemolysed erythrocytes and urine

A sensitive and selective electrochemical method was developed for the determination of glutathione (GSH) in hemolysed erythrocyte using vinylferocene modified carbon nanotubes paste electrode (VFMCNTPE). The results indicate that the electrode is efficient in terms of its electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of GSH, leading to a reduced overpotential by more than 470 mV. Also, the values of catalytic rate constant (k), and diffusion coefficient (D) for GSH were calculated. The electrocatalytic oxidation peak current of GSH showed two linear dynamic ranges with a detection limit of 0.09 μM GSH. The linear calibration ranges were obtained between 0.2–4.0 and 4.0–250.0 μM GSH using square wave voltammetry (SWV) method. The proposed method was also examined as a selective, simple and precise electrochemical sensor for the determination of GSH in real samples such as urine and hemolysed erythrocyte.