Determination of Glimepiride in Human Plasma by LC-MS-MS and Comparison of Sample Preparation Methods for Glimepiride

A sensitive and selective method for quantitation of glimepiride in human plasma was established using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Three different methods for the sample preparation of glimepiride and an internal standard were investigated (liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and protein precipitation). Glipizide was used as an internal standard. Compounds were separated on a C₁₈ column with 80% acetonitrile and 20% deionized water (adjusted to pH 3.5 with acetic acid), as mobile phase at a flow rate of 200 L min^–1. By use of multiple reaction monitoring mode in MS-MS with liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction, glimepiride and glipizide were detected without severe interference from the human plasma matrix. Glimepiride produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H]⁺) at m/z 491 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 352, and the internal standard produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H]⁺) at m/z 446 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 321. The limit of quantitation was 0.1 ng mL^–1, 0.5 ng mL^–1 and 1.0 ng mL^–1 when using liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and protein precipitation, respectively. The validation, reproducibility, stability, and recovery of the different sample preparation methods were comparable and all the methods gave reliable results. The method has been successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study of glimepiride in human plasma.     

Effect of solvent upon competitive liquid-liquid extraction of alkali metal cations by isomeric dibenzo-16-crown-5-oxyacetic acids

The selectivity and efficiency of competitive liquid-liquid extraction of alkali metal cations into organic solvents containingsym-(octyl)dibenzo-16-crown-5-oxyacetic acid (2) andsym-bis[4(5)-tert-butylbenzo]-16-crown-5-oxyacetic acid (3) have been determined. Solvents examined include: dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, benzene, toluene,p-xylene, chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene. The Na⁺/K⁺ and Na⁺/Li⁺ extraction ratios are highest in chloroform. The extraction selectivity is found to correlate with the diluent parameter (DP) of the organic solvent.This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr C. J. Pedersen.     

CFD evaluation of drop retraction methods for the measurement of interfacial tension of surfactant-laden drops

Drop retraction methods are popular means of measuring the interfacial tension between immiscible polymers. Experiments show that two different drop retraction methods, imbedded fiber retraction (IFR) and deformed drop retraction (DDR), give inconsistent results when a surfactant is present on the surface of the drop. These inconsistencies are deemed to be due to dilution of the surfactant and due to gradients in interfacial concentration of surfactant along the drop surface. This physical picture is quantified for the simple case of a Newtonian drop in a Newtonian matrix, with an insoluble, nondiffusive surfactant at the interface. The drop is deformed in computational fluid dynamics simulations by shearing the matrix, and then allowed to retract. Dilution and interfacial tension gradients effects are found to be especially large at the early stages of retraction, making IFR unsuitable for measuring the interfacial tension of surfactant-laden interfaces. The effects of surfactant dilution and gradients are found to persist even at late stages of retraction, causing the DDR method to underestimate the equilibrium interfacial tension significantly. The largest underestimates occur when the drop viscosity is lower than the matrix viscosity.     

Phagocytosis of serum- and IgG-opsonized zymosan particles induces apoptosis through superoxide but not nitric oxide in macrophage J774A.1

Phagocytosis of serum- and IgG-opsonized zymosan (SOZ and IOZ, respectively) particles into J774A.1 macrophages induced apoptosis of the cells, accompanied by the expression of p21(WAF1), one of cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK) inhibitors. Furthermore, phagocytosis of SOZ and IOZ particles into macophages induced superoxide formation. Tat-superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is readily transduced into the cells using Tat-domain, protected the cells from the apoptosis induced by phagocytosis of SOZ and IOZ particles. lipopolysaccharide (LPS) /interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) also caused the apoptosis of the cells. However, Tat-SOD could not protect the cells from LPS/IFN-gamma induced apoptosis, suggesting that apoptosis mechanisms involved are different from each other. In the present study, we determined the amounts of nitric oxide (NO) produced by SOZ, IOZ, and LPS/IFN-gamma, and found that SOZ and IOZ did not induce the generation of NO in macrophages, whereas LPS/ IFN-gamma did. The apoptosis due to phagocytosis was accompanied with the release of cytochrome c from mitochondrial membrane to cytosolic fraction. Furthermore, SOZ and IOZ induced the cleavage of procasapase-3 (35 kDa) to give rise to an active caspase-3 (20 kDa), which was blocked by Tat- SOD but not by 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO), a scavenger of NO. On the other hand, LPS/IFN-gamma caused the activation of procaspase-3, which was blocked by PTIO but not by Tat-SOD. Taken together, phagocytosis of SOZ and IOZ particles induced apoptosis through superoxide but not NO in macrophages, accompanied with the release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspase-3.     

Measurement of radioactive samples in Marinelli beakers by gamma-ray spectrometry

Radioactivity measurement of environmental samples is frequently assayed by gamma-ray spectrometry using Marinelli beakers. In this work, self-absorption and coincidence summing effects arising in activity measurements for Marinelli beaker geometry have been studied with a Ge detector. Three types of Marinelli beakers which have capacities of 450 mL, 1 L, and 2 L were developed. Self-attenuation effects for density variation of radioactive samples in each type of the Marinelli beakers were measured as a function of gamma-ray energy, and also the results were compared with calculated values by mathematical model. Meanwhile, the coincidence summing effects of¹²⁵Sb and¹⁵⁴Eu nuclides were obtained from the determination of the full-energy peak and total efficiencies for a Ge detector.     

Catalytic asymmetric addition of alkylzinc and functionalized alkylzinc reagents to ketones

We describe our full report of the catalytic asymmetric addition of simple and functionalized dialkylzinc reagents to a broad range of saturated ketones and enones. The functionalized organozinc reagents contain esters, silyl ethers, alkyl chlorides, and alkyl bromides. In general, the resulting tertiary alcohol products are isolated with high ee's. With some substrates, yields are low as a result of the formation of aldol byproducts. Most substrates undergo additions with good yields reaching as high as 91%.     

Generalized fundamental equations on the submanifolds of a manifoldESX n

A connection which is both Einstein and semisymmetric is called anES connection, and a generalizedn-dimensional Riemannian manifold on which the differential geometric structure is imposed by a unified field tensorg through anES connection is called ann-dimensionalES manifold and denoted byESX _n . We investigate some necessary and sufficient conditions for submanifolds ofESX _n to be also Einstein and derive the generalized fundamental equations on various submanifolds ofESX _n , such as generalized Gauss formulas, generalized Weingarten equations, and generalized Gauss-Codazzi equations. We employ the useful and powerful concept ofC-nonholonomic frame of reference, introduced in earlier work.