电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定硼同位素丰度

以硼同位素标准物质NIST SRM 951配制标准溶液,在优化的仪器操作条件下对电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)测定的硼同位素质量进行校正,求出校正因子,确定了样品的线性浓度范围,选定样品浓度为1.1 mg/L。在同样的仪器条件下首先测定了硼标准物质的硼同位素丰度比,测量误差为0.2%,然后测定了硼同位素浓缩过程中硼样品的硼同位素丰度比,测定结果的相对标准偏差为1.1%。此外考察了仪器的稳定性。实验结果表明本方法“记忆效应”小,结果可靠,测量精度高。     

Isotope ratio monitoring of small molecules and macromolecules by liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry

In the field of isotope ratio mass spectrometry, the introduction of an interface allowing the connection of liquid chromatography (LC) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) has opened a range of new perspectives. The LC interface is based on a chemical oxidation, producing CO2 from organic molecules. While first results were obtained from the analysis of low molecular weight compounds, the application of compound-specific isotope analysis by irm-LC/MS to other molecules, in particular biomolecules, is presented here. The influence of the LC flow rate on the CO2 signal and on the observed delta13C values is demonstrated. The limits of quantification for angiotensin III and for leucine were 100 and 38 pmol, respectively, with a standard deviation of the delta13C values better than 0.4 per thousand. Also, accuracy and precision of delta13C values for elemental analyser-IRMS and flow injection analysis-IRMS (FIA-LC/MS) were compared. For compounds with molecular weights ranging from 131 to 66,390 Da, precision was better than 0.3 per thousand, and accuracy varied from 0.1 to 0.7 per thousand. In a second part of the work, a two-dimensional (2D)-LC method for the separation of 15 underivatised amino acids is demonstrated; the precision of delta13C values for several amino acids by irm-LC/MS was better than 0.3 per thousand at natural abundance. For labelled mixtures, the coefficient of variation was between 1% at 0.07 atom % excess (APE) for threonine and alanine, and around 10% at 0.03 APE for valine and phenylalanine. The application of irm-LC/MS to the determination of the isotopic enrichment of 13C-threonine in an extract of rat colon mucosa demonstrated a precision of 0.5 per thousand, or 0.001 atom %.     

Selective conversion of plasma glucose into CO2 by Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the measurement of 13C abundance by isotope ratio mass spectrometry: proof of principle

To study carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption, time-dependent (13)C enrichment in plasma glucose is measured after oral administration of naturally occurring (13)C-enriched carbohydrates. The isotope enrichment of the administered carbohydrate is low (APE <0.1%) and plasma (13)C glucose measurements are routinely determined with gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) or liquid chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/C/IRMS). In this study, plasma glucose was converted into CO(2) by an in-tube reaction with yeast permitting direct measurement of (13)CO(2) in the headspace. Saccharomyces cerevisiae incubated under anaerobic conditions was able to convert sufficient glucose into CO(2) to produce a consistent CO(2) peak in IRMS with little variation in peak area and precise delta(13)C(PDB) values for corn glucose: -11.40 +/- 0.16 per thousand, potato glucose: -25.17 +/- 0.13 per thousand, and plasma glucose: -26.29 +/- 0.05 per thousand. The measurement showed high linearity (R(2) = 0.999) and selectivity and was not affected by the glucose concentration in the tested range of 5-15 mM. Comparison with GC/C/IRMS showed a good correlation of enrichment data: R(2) > 0.98 for both sources of glucose and plasma samples. Commercially available, instant dried baker's yeast was qualitatively and quantitatively comparable with freshly prepared yeast: R(2) > 0.96, slope 1.03 and 1.08 for glucose solutions and plasma, respectively. Thus, yeast conversion of plasma glucose into CO(2) and (13)C measurement applying a breath (13)CO(2) analyzer is an inexpensive, simple and equally accurate alternative to the more expensive and laborious GC/C/IRMS and LC/C/IRMS measurements.     

Comparison of different mass spectrometry techniques in the measurement of L‐[ring‐13C6]phenylalanine incorporation into mixed muscle proteins

Precise measurement of low enrichment of stable isotope labeled amino‐acid tracers in tissue samples is a prerequisite in measuring tissue protein synthesis rates. The challenge of this analysis is augmented when small sample size is a critical factor. Muscle samples from human participants following an 8 h intravenous infusion of L‐[ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine and a bolus dose of L‐[ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine in a mouse were utilized. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), gas chromatography (GC) MS/MS and GC/MS were compared to the GC‐combustion‐isotope ratio MS (GC/C/IRMS), to measure mixed muscle protein enrichment of [ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine enrichment. The sample isotope enrichment ranged from 0.0091 to 0.1312 molar percent excess. As compared with GC/C/IRMS, LC/MS/MS, GC/MS/MS and GC/MS showed coefficients of determination of R² = 0.9962 and R² = 0.9942, and 0.9217 respectively. However, the precision of measurements (coefficients of variation) for intra‐assay are 13.0%, 1.7%, 6.3% and 13.5% and for inter‐assay are 9.2%, 3.2%, 10.2% and 25% for GC/C/IRMS, LC/MS/MS, GC/MS/MS and GC/MS, respectively. The muscle sample sizes required to obtain these results were 8 µg, 0.8 µg, 3 µg and 3 µg for GC/C/IRMS, LC/MS/MS, GC/MS/MS and GC/MS, respectively. We conclude that LC/MS/MS is optimally suited for precise measurements of L‐[ring‐¹³C₆]phenylalanine tracer enrichment in low abundance and in small quantity samples. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of gas chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometric measurements for high accuracy analysis of cholesterol in human serum by isotope dilution mass spectrometry

Cholesterol measurements are of vital clinical importance and reliable reference materials are essential for method validation. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is usually used for the high accuracy analysis of cholesterol by isotope dilution. A certified reference material for cholesterol content in human serum was analysed by isotope dilution utilising GC/MS and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The use of LC/MS avoided the need for a derivatisation step. Both LC/MS and GC/MS produced results on the measurement of cholesterol that agreed within 0.5% of the certified value. Moreover, the precision obtained for ratio measurement using both techniques are comparable and lead to relative expanded standard uncertainties (with a coverage factor of 2) varying between 0.2 and 0.5%.     

Analysis of [U‐13C6]glucose in human plasma using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry compared with two other mass spectrometry techniques

The use of stable isotope labelled glucose provides insight into glucose metabolism. The ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment of glucose is usually measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). However, in both techniques the samples must be derivatized prior to analysis, which makes sample preparation more labour‐intensive and increases the uncertainty of the measured isotopic composition. A novel method for the determination of isotopic enrichment of glucose in human plasma using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) has been developed. Using this technique, for which hardly any sample preparation is needed, we showed that both the enrichment and the concentration could be measured with very high precision using only 20 µL of plasma. In addition, a comparison with GC/MS and GC/IRMS showed that the best performance was achieved with the LC/IRMS method making it the method of choice for the measurement of ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment in plasma samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous analysis of 13C‐glutathione as its dimeric form GSSG and its precursor [1‐13C]glycine using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Determination of glutathione kinetics using stable isotopes requires accurate measurement of the tracers and tracees. Previously, the precursor and synthesized product were measured with two separate techniques, liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) and gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). In order to reduce sample volume and minimize analytical effort we developed a method to simultaneously determine ¹³C‐glutathione as its dimeric form (GSSG) and its precursor [1‐¹³C]glycine in a small volume of erythrocytes in one single analysis. After having transformed ¹³C‐glutathione into its dimeric form GSSG, we determined both the intra‐erythrocytic concentrations and the ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment of GSSG and glycine in 150 µL of whole blood using liquid chromatography coupled to LC/IRMS. The results show that the concentration (range of µmol/mL) was reliably measured using cycloleucine as internal standard, i.e. with a precision better than 0.1 µmol/mL. The ¹³C‐isotopic enrichment of GSSG and glycine measured in the same run gave reliable values with excellent precision (standard deviation (sd) <0.3‰) and accuracy (measured between 0 and 5 APE). This novel method opens up a variety of kinetic studies with relatively low dose administration of tracers, reducing the total cost of the study design. In addition, only a minimal sample volume is required, enabling studies even in very small subjects, such as preterm infants. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of multiresidue quinolones regulated by the European Union in pig liver samples. High-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry versus tandem mass spectrometry detection

The use of liquid chromatography coupled to orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ToF-MS) provides an attractive alternative to liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole (LC-MS) or triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in multiresidue analysis. ToF-MS provides accurate mass information and a significantly higher mass resolution than quadrupole analyzers. In this work, the influential parameters in time-of-flight detection using an electrospray ionization (ESI) source were studied using a central composite design to obtain the main effects and their two-factor interactions. The method developed uses LC-ESI-ToF-MS to determine and characterize quinolones regulated by the EU in pig liver samples below the maximum residue limits (MRLs). Linearity, decision limit, detection capability, detection and quantification limits, precision and recoveries were determined and adequate results were obtained, with quantification limits between 1.5 and 6 microg kg(-1) and recoveries higher than 60% for all quinolones. Limits of detection are lower than 2 microg kg(-1). Results obtained using LC-ESI-ToF-MS were compared with those obtained using LC coupled to a quadrupole and to triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The work described in this paper illustrates the suitability and excellent confirmatory potential of LC-ToF-MS for multiresidue analysis in food samples.     

Investigation of the advanced functionalities of a hybrid quadrupole orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ToF-MS) has gained wide acceptance in many fields of chemistry, proteomics, metabolomics and small molecule analysis. ToF-MS, however, has some inherent advantages and drawbacks. Numerous developments have been made to hybrid ToF instruments to improve their capabilities. We have used a quadrupole orthogonal acceleration ToF (Q-oa-ToF) instrument to assess developments made to improve resolution, dynamic range and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios (i.e. sensitivity). Higher mass resolution can improve the analysis of mixtures containing compounds with similar m/z values and improved mass accuracy gives greater confidence for structural elucidation applications. Wide dynamic ranges are necessary for the analysis of unknown samples or samples that vary widely in analyte concentrations. The performance of the advanced functionalities for routine structural elucidation in terms of resolution, dynamic range and S/N ratios was investigated using test compounds. The results presented in this work demonstrate and validate the use of these new enhancements for Q-ToF instruments and also show their limitations.     

Quantitation of plasma 13C-galactose and 13C-glucose during exercise by liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

The utilisation of carbohydrate sources under exercise conditions is of considerable importance in performance sports. Incorporation of optimal profiles of macronutrients can improve endurance performance in athletes. However, gaining an understanding of the metabolic partitioning under sustained exercise can be problematical and isotope labelling approaches can help quantify substrate utilisation. The utilisation of oral galactose was investigated using ¹³C‐galactose and measurement of plasma galactose and glucose enrichment by liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS). As little as 100 μL plasma could readily be analysed with only minimal sample processing. Fucose was used as a chemical and isotopic internal standard for the quantitation of plasma galactose and glucose concentrations, and isotopic enrichment. The close elution of galactose and glucose required a correction routine to be implemented to allow the measurement, and correction, of plasma glucose δ¹³C, even in the presence of very highly enriched galactose. A Bland‐Altman plot of glucose concentration measured by LC/IRMS against glucose measured by an enzymatic method showed good agreement between the methods. Data from seven trained cyclists, undergoing galactose supplementation before exercise, demonstrate that galactose is converted into glucose and is available for subsequent energy metabolism. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of amino acid 13C abundance from human and faunal bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

The scope of compound-specific stable isotope analysis has recently been increased with the development of the LC IsoLink which interfaces high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) to provide online LC/IRMS. This enables isotopic measurement of non-volatile compounds previously not amenable to compound-specific analysis or requiring substantial modification for gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS), which results in reduced precision. Amino acids are an example of such compounds.We present a new chromatographic method for the HPLC separation of underivatized amino acids using an acidic, aqueous mobile phase in conjunction with a mixed-mode stationary phase that can be interfaced with the LC IsoLink for compound-specific delta13C analysis. The method utilizes a reversed-phase Primesep-A column with embedded, ionizable, functional groups providing the capability for ion-exchange and hydrophobic interactions. Baseline separation of 15 amino acids and their carbon isotope values are reported with an average standard deviation of 0.18 per thousand (n = 6). In addition delta13C values of 18 amino acids are determined from modern protein and archaeological bone collagen hydrolysates, demonstrating the potential of this method for compound-specific applications in a number of fields including metabolic, ecological and palaeodietary studies.     

A linear time-of-flight mass analyzer for thermal ionization cavity mass spectrometry

In this paper we report the basic design characteristics, typical operating parameters, and isotope ratio performance of an orthogonal acceleration linear thermal ionization cavity time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TIC-TOFMS). The present system is capable of mass resolution of 750–850 (FWHM) over a wide range of masses, and can generate and analyze multi-element spectra from sub-μg samples (solids and solution residues) in <30–45 min. The optimum precision (1σ) of isotope ratios determined from 60–80 spectra (each the average of 600 individual spectra) is 0.2–0.4% R.S.D., and is limited by the instrument drift, dead time and the data acquisition and processing capabilities of the 8-bit digital oscilloscope used to collect the data. Isotope ratio accuracy (1σ, per mass unit) for major isotopes is typically <±1.0%.     

Comparison of desorption/ionization on silicon (DIOS) time-of-flight and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for assaying enzyme-inhibition reactions

Desorption/ionization on silicon with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DIOS-TOFMS) was employed for rapid quantification of small molecules and the measurement of critical constants used in enzyme kinetics studies. The approach was used to determine the Michaelis constant (Km) for acetylcholine esterase and the 50% inhibition constant (IC50) for tacrine. The Km was determined from a Lineweaver-Burk plot to be 98 microM. The IC50 was determined by assaying acetylcholine esterase activity with a range of tacrine concentrations, and measuring the amount of choline produced at a fixed time point by either DIOS-TOFMS or by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). DIOS-TOFMS indicated an IC50 of 32.0 nM while LC/MS/MS gave a value of 31.8 nM. The excellent correlation with the reported IC50 values, ranging from 30.0 to 50.0 nM, and equivalence with the LC/MS/MS results, confirms that the DIOS-TOFMS method can be used for rapid and specific quantification of enzyme-inhibition assays.     

Negative Thermionen-Massenspektrometrie von Selen

Summary Selenite and selenate were determined in ground waters with isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). This species analysis was possible by the use of an⁸²Se enriched selenite and selenate spike and a Chromatographic separation of both species after the isotope dilution step. In a column filled with the DEAE cellulose anion exchanger selenite could be separated with 1 mol/l formic acid, whereas selenate was eluted with 0.1 mol/1 nitric acid. The mass spectrometric isotope ratio measurement was carried out in a thermal ionization instrument using the formation of negative Se^– thermal ions for detection. Selenite, selenate and total selenium in ground water samples were determined in the concentration range of 0.2–20 n/g with relative standard deviations of 0.5%–5%. The selenate concentration was approximately ten to eighty times higher than the corresponding selenite concentration. There was always a difference of about 8% between the sum of the selenite and selenate concentrations and the total selenium concentration which can possibly be attributed to water-soluble selenides and elementary selenium, respectively.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. R. Neeb zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

Isotope pattern deconvolution as a tool to study iron metabolism in plants

Isotope pattern deconvolution is a mathematical technique for isolating distinct isotope signatures from mixtures of natural abundance and enriched tracers. In iron metabolism studies measurement of all four isotopes of the element by high-resolution multicollector or collision cell ICP–MS allows the determination of the tracer/tracee ratio with simultaneous internal mass bias correction and lower uncertainties. This technique was applied here for the first time to study iron uptake by cucumber plants using ⁵⁷Fe-enriched iron chelates of the o,o and o,p isomers of ethylenediaminedi(o-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid (EDDHA) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). Samples of root, stem, leaves, and xylem sap, after exposure of the cucumber plants to the mentioned ⁵⁷Fe chelates, were collected, dried, and digested using nitric acid. The isotopic composition of iron in the samples was measured by ICP–MS using a high-resolution multicollector instrument. Mass bias correction was computed using both a natural abundance iron standard and by internal correction using isotope pattern deconvolution. It was observed that, for plants with low ⁵⁷Fe enrichment, isotope pattern deconvolution provided lower tracer/tracee ratio uncertainties than the traditional method applying external mass bias correction. The total amount of the element in the plants was determined by isotope dilution analysis, using a collision cell quadrupole ICP–MS instrument, after addition of ⁵⁷Fe or natural abundance Fe in a known amount which depended on the isotopic composition of the sample.     

Comparing the precision of selenium isotope ratio measurements using collision cell and sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The performance of two different types of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instruments for resolving spectral overlaps on Se isotopes was compared by means of selenium isotopic ratio measurements. Examined were a quadrupole-based, hexapole collisions cell CC-ICP-MS and a double-focusing sector field SF-ICP-MS. Due to the importance of precise and accurate isotope ratio determination in environmental, clinical and nutritional studies, a thorough investigation of the critical instrumental parameters of each technique was performed. A hydride generation system was coupled with SF-ICP-MS to maintain high signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) at high mass resolution. However, 80Se+ was not completely separated from the argon dimer (40)Ar2+ at m/z=80, even in high-resolution mode. The same hydride generation system was coupled to a collision cell instrument and it was found that argon dimers are significantly reduced using a mixture of H2 and He gas with the cell. A lower mass bias of 2.5% per amu was determined for measured Se isotopes using the SF-ICP-MS instrument compared 3.6% observed for the CC-ICP-MS instrument. Under optimized conditions, the precision for Se isotope ratio measurements of both instruments was evaluated and compared measuring NIST-3149 Se standard solution. On average, the uncertainty determined by repeated measurements over the span of three individual measuring sessions in a period of 3 weeks ranged from 0.06% to 0.15% and 0.09% to 0.30% R.S.D. for the various isotope ratios using the CC-ICP-MS and SF-ICP-MS instrument, respectively. The detection limits (3) for total Se were determined by measuring 82Se and found to be 1.7 and 4.0 ng L(-1) for the CC-ICP-MS and SF-ICP-MS, respectively.     

Novel method for measurement of glutathione kinetics in neonates using liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry

A novel analytical method using liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) was developed for measuring the fractional synthesis rate (FSR) of glutathione (GSH) in neonates after infusion of [1-(13)C]-glycine as a tracer. After transformation of GSH into GSSG, its dimeric form, the intra-erythrocytic concentration and (13)C-isotopic enrichment of GSH were determined using 200 microL of blood. The results showed that, using LC/IRMS, the concentration (range of micromol/mL) was reliably measured using norvaline as internal standard with precision better than 0.1 micromol/mL. In addition, the (13)C-isotopic enrichment measured in the same run gave reliable values with excellent precision (with standard deviation (sd) lower than 0.3 per thousand) and accuracy (measured between 0 and 2 Atom % Excess (APE)). The inter-assay repeatability of delta(13)C of norvaline used as internal standard with in vivo samples was assessed at -26.07 +/- 0.28 per thousand with coefficient of variance (CV) at 1.1%. The FSR calculated either with GSH or GSSG showed similar results with slightly higher values for GSSG (41.6 +/- 4.7 and 46.5 +/- 4.4, respectively). The slightly lower FSR of GSH is probably due to interfering compounds in the biological matrix. Successfully used in a clinical study, this rapid and reliable method opens up a variety of kinetic studies with relatively low administration of tracer infusates, reducing the total cost of the study design. The small volume of blood needed enables studies even in extremely small subjects, such as premature infants, as reported in this study.     

Precise determination of isotopic ratios for some biologically significant elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy

Isotope ratios for copper, iron, lead, lithium, nickel and zinc were measured with an ELAN 5000 ICP-MS instrument. Except for lithium isotopes, ratio relative standard deviations (RSDs) of about 0.1% were achieved with measurement times of 10 min or less per sample on isotope pairs that differed by no more than a factor of 10 in abundance. It was necessary to accumulate several million counts to reduce statistical counting errors, to correct for the dead time in the counting circuitry, and to compensate for a slow drift of apparent ratios with time. Drift compensation was achieved by using a third isotope of the test element, by adding two internal standard elements with isotopes bracketing the mass range of interest, or by frequent recalibration with a standard of known abundances. Attempts to compensate for drift in lithium isotope ratios were not successful and typical RSDs for ⁶Li/⁷Li remained around 0.5%. Copper and zinc ratios were measured in pig feces with ratio precision and drift behavior essentially identical to that seen for synthetic solutions.     

Determination of selected non-authorized insecticides in peppers by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry

In this work, two analytical methods based on liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-TOFMS) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) are described for the identification, confirmation and quantitation of three insecticides non-authorized in the European Union (nitenpyram, isocarbophos and isofenphos-methyl) but detected in recent monitoring programmes in pepper samples. The proposed methodologies involved a sample extraction procedure using liquid-liquid partition with acetonitrile followed by a cleanup step based on dispersive solid-phase extraction. Recovery studies performed on peppers spiked at different fortification levels (10 and 50 microg kg(-1)) yielded average recoveries in the range 76-100% with relative standard deviation (RSD) (%) values below 10%. Identification, confirmation and quantitation were carried out by LC/TOFMS and LC/MS/MS using a hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap (QqLIT) instrument in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The obtained limits of quantitation (LOQs) were in the range 0.1-5 microg kg(-1), depending on each individual technique. Finally, the proposed methods were successfully applied to the analysis of suspected pepper samples.