Kinetics and mechanism of *NO2 reacting with various oxidation states of myoglobin

Nitrogen dioxide ((*)NO(2)) participates in a variety of biological reactions. Of great interest are the reactions of (*)NO(2) with oxymyoglobin and oxyhemoglobin, which are the predominant hemeproteins in biological systems. Although these reactions occur rapidly during the nitrite-catalyzed autoxidation of hemeproteins, their roles in systems producing (*)NO(2) in the presence of these hemeproteins have been greatly underestimated. In the present study, we employed pulse radiolysis to study directly the kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of oxymyoglobin (MbFe(II)O(2)) with (*)NO(2). The rate constant of this reaction was determined to be (4.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(7) M(-1)s(-1), and is among the highest rate constants measured for (*)NO(2) with any biomolecule at pH 7.4. The interconversion among the various oxidation states of myoglobin that is prompted by nitrogen oxide species is remarkable. The reaction of MbFe(II)O(2) with (*)NO(2) forms MbFe(III)OONO(2), which undergoes rapid heterolysis along the O-O bond to yield MbFe(V)=O and NO(3-). The perferryl-myoglobin (MbFe(V)=O) transforms rapidly into the ferryl species that has a radical site on the globin ((*)MbFe(IV)=O). The latter oxidizes another oxymyoglobin (10(4) M(-1)s(-1) < k(17) < 10(7) M(-1)s(-1)) and generates equal amounts of ferrylmyoglobin and metmyoglobin. At much longer times, the ferrylmyoglobin disappears through a relatively slow comproportionation with oxymyoglobin (k(18) = 21.3 +/- 5.3 M(-1)s(-1)). Eventually, each (*)NO(2) radical converts three oxymyoglobin molecules into metmyoglobin. The same intermediate, namely MbFe(III)OONO(2), is also formed via the reaction peroxynitrate (O(2)NOO(-)/O(2)NOOH) with metmyoglobin (k(19) = (4.6 +/- 0.3) x 10(4) M(-1)s(-1)). The reaction of (*)NO(2) with ferrylmyoglobin (k(20) = (1.2 +/- 0.2) x 10(7) M(-1)s(-1)) yields MbFe(III)ONO(2), which in turn dissociates (k(21) = 190 +/- 20 s(-1)) into metmyoglobin and NO(3-). This rate constant was found to be the same as that measured for the decay of the intermediate formed in the reaction of MbFe(II)O(2) with (*)NO, which suggests that MbFe(III)ONO(2) is the intermediate observed in both processes. This conclusion is supported by thermokinetic arguments. The present results suggest that hemeproteins may detoxify (*)NO(2) and thus preempt deleterious processes, such as nitration of proteins. Such a possibility is substantiated by the observation that the reactions of (*)NO(2) with the various oxidation states of myoglobin lead to the formation of metmyoglobin, which, though not functional in the gas transport, is nevertheless nontoxic at physiological pH.     

On-column polymer-imbedded graphite inlet electrode for capillary electrophoresis coupled on-line with flow injection analysis in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) interface

A method for coupling an electrophoretic driven separation to a liquid flow, using conventional fused-silica capillaries and a soft polymeric interface is presented. A novel design of the electrode providing high voltage to the electrophoretic separation was also developed. The electrode consisted of a conductive polyimide/graphite imbedded coating immobilized onto the capillary electrophoresis (CE) column inlet. This integrated electrode gave the same separation performance as a commonly used platinum electrode. The on-column electrode also showed good electrochemical stability in chronoamperometric experiments. In addition, with this electrode design, the electrode position relative to the inlet end of the CE column will always be constant and well defined. The on-line flow injection analysis (FIA)-CE system was used with electrospray ionization (ESI)-time of flight (TOF)-mass spectrometry detection. The preparation of the PDMS (poly(dimethylsiloxane)) interface for FIA-CE is described in detail and used for initial tests of the on-column polymer-imbedded graphite inlet electrode. In this interface, a pressure-driven liquid flow, a make up CE electrolyte and a CE column inlet meet in a two-level cross (95 microm ID) in the PDMS structure, enabling independent flow characterization.     

Comparison of solution-blending and melt-intercalation for the preparation of poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid)/organoclay nanocomposites

Ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers (EAAs) and commercial montmorillonite clays organically modified with dimethyldihydrogenatedtallowammonium ions (Cloisite^® 15A and 20A) were used for the synthesis of nanocomposites by melt-compounding, static melting of polymer/clay mixtures and solution-intercalation in order to compare the effectiveness of these procedures and to shed light on the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the intercalation process. The preparation from solution was made by the use of several solvents, such as toluene, xylene, chloroform, etc., which were then removed from the hybrids by precipitation in different non-solvents or by evaporation. Particular attention was paid to the effect of the thermal treatments which are often used when processing the composites prepared from solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the solution-blended composites showed that no intercalation of the EAAs inside the clay galleries can be achieved if solvent removal is made by precipitation in non-solvents or by room-temperature evaporation. On the contrary, intercalation was found to occur very rapidly (in less than 1 min) when both the hybrids prepared from solution and the mechanical blends of powdered components were melted in the absence of shear. Polymer intercalation was also found to occur, though with a lower rate, upon annealing the powder mixtures at temperatures lower than the EAA melting point. Microscopic observations made by polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that the clay particles dispersion is appreciably lower for the composites prepared from solution, compared to those produced in the melt under shear flow conditions. The hybrids obtained by static melting of powder mixtures, on the other side, were expectedly found to comprise micron sized clay agglomerates, although intercalation was demonstrated also for these materials by XRD. The structure of the intercalated silicate layers stacks, characterized by an interlayer spacing of 4.0 nm, was shown to be independent of the preparation procedure and to correspond to thermodynamic equilibrium.     

Trace determination of organotin compounds in water,sediment and mussel samples by low-pressure gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

A fast method for the determination of eight organotin compounds (OTs), monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT), tributyltin (TBT), tetrabutyltin (TeBT), monophenyltin (MPhT), diphenyltin (DPhT), triphenyltin (TPhT) and tetraphenyltin (TePhT), in water, sediments and mussels, was developed using low-pressure gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LPGC/MS/MS). The method is based on sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) complexation of the ionic organotins, followed by extraction of the target matrices and derivatization by a Grignard reagent, as described in a previously published method for water samples. Solid-phase extraction was selected as extraction method from water samples after comparison with liquid-liquid extraction, but extraction of the OTs from sediment and mussel samples was performed using toluene. Matrix-matched calibration standards were used to minimize matrix effects. The analytical process was validated by the analysis of spiked blank samples. Performance characteristics such as linearity, detection limit (LOD), quantitation limit (LOQ), precision, and recovery were determined. Recoveries of OTs in spiked matrices ranged from 86-108% in water and from 78-110% in sediments and mussels, with precision values lower than 18%. Detection limits ranged from 0.1-9.6 ng L(-1) in water, and 0.03-6.10 microg kg(-1) in the other matrices. The present implementation of LPGC rather than conventional capillary GC permitted use of large-volume injection and reduced analysis time by a factor of two. The proposed methodology was applied to the determination of OTs in real samples of water, marine sediments and mussels from the west coast of the Mediterranean Sea (Spain).     

Analysis of endosulfan and its metabolites in human serum using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A new analytical method combining solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) is proposed to determine the insecticide endosulfan as well as its metabolites endosulfan-ether, -lactone, and -sulfate in human serum. Most matrix interferences are avoided using a cleanup step included in the sample treatment and an instrumental technique such as GC-MS-MS, which presents a high sensitivity and selectivity. Recoveries of spiked compounds range between 94.8 and 100.4% and 93.4 and 99.7% at fortification levels of 10 and 30 ng/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviation is lower than 17.6% in all cases, and the limits of detection calculated range from 6 to 19 pg/mL. Serum samples of nine agricultural workers that spray endosulfan into greenhouses in Almería (Spain) and two nonoccupationally exposed people are analyzed, and endosulfan is found in all the samples studied.     

Determination of pesticides and some metabolites in different kinds of milk by solid-phase microextraction and low-pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A new analytical method is proposed to determine more than 40 multiclass pesticides in different kinds of processed (whole, skimmed and powdered) and unprocessed (goat and human) milk samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). A comparative study between headspace (HS) and direct immersion (DI) was carried out. The effect of milk dilution and the use of acid to reduce the influence of the matrix in DI-SPME mode were also evaluated. DI of the SPME fiber into previously diluted and acidified milk samples achieved the best sensitivity results. Pesticides were determined using low-pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC-MS/MS). Both of the selected techniques have been shown to be effective at reduce fat interference and can determine analytes present at very low concentrations (limits of quantification between 0.02 and 1.00 g L^–1). Performance characteristics such as linearity, recovery, precision, and lower limits, together with an estimation of the measurement uncertainty using validation data, are presented for each pesticide. All of the pesticides presented recovery rates of between 81 and 110% and precision values lower than 12% (expressed as the relative standard deviation). The overall uncertainty of the method was estimated at three different concentrations (10, 25 and 50 g L^–1) and was lower than 25.5% in all cases. The proposed analytical methodology was applied to the analysis of target pesticides in 35 samples: 15 commercial, 3 human and 17 goat milk samples. The metabolite p,p-DDE was the compound most frequently found in both the breast and goat milk samples, at concentration levels <20 g L^–1. However, pesticide residues were not found in any of the other 15 commercial milk samples (skimmed, powdered and whole milk) analyzed.     

Synthesis, characterization and thermal properties of new aromatic quaternary ammonium bromides: precursors for ionic liquids and complexation studies

Series of new aromatic R₂R′₂N⁺Br⁻ (R=benzyl, 4-methylbenzyl, 2-phenylethyl, 3-phenylpropyl; R′=ethyl, methyl, isopropyl) or RR′₂NH⁺Br⁻-type (R=benzyl, R′=isopropyl) quaternary ammonium bromides were prepared by using novel synthetic route in which a formamide (N,N-diethylformamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-diisopropylformamide) is treated with aralkyl halide in presence of a weak base. The compounds were characterized by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Structures of the crystalline compounds were determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction, and in addition the powder diffraction method was used to study the structural similarities between the single crystal and microcrystalline bulk material. Three of the compounds crystallized in monoclinic, two in orthorhombic and one in triclinic crystal system, showing ion pairs, which are interconnected by weak hydrogen bonds and weak π-π interactions between the phenyl rings. Three of the compounds appeared as viscous oil or waxes. Finally, TG/DTA and DSC methods were used to analyze thermal properties of the prepared compounds. The lowest melting points were obtained for diethyldi-(2-phenylethyl)ammonium bromide (122.2 °C) and for diethyldi-(3-phenylpropyl)-ammonium bromide (109.1 °C). In general, decomposition of the compounds started at 170-190 °C without identifiable cleavages, thus liquid ranges of 30-70 °C were observed for some of the compounds.     

Sequential injection analysis for benzophenone-4 and phenylbenzimidazole sulphonic acid in sunscreen sprays by solid-phase extraction coupled with ultraviolet spectrometry

A sequential injection UV method was developed to determine benzophenone-4 (BZ4) and phenylbenzimidazole sulphonic acid (PBS) simultaneously, these being the most commonly used UV-filters in aqueous formulations used as sunscreen sprays. The selective elution of both was performed by on-line solid-phase extraction, by retention on a SAX microcolumn and separation by varying the pH of elution. The sensitivity obtained was 0.042±0.001 ml μg⁻¹ for PBS and 0.0159±0.0003 ml μg⁻¹ for BZ4. The limit of detection was 1.6 μg ml⁻¹ for PBS and 0.6 μg ml⁻¹ for BZ4. The R.S.D. of the results was 1-6% for PBS and 1-12% for BZ4. The method was validated using commercial sunscreen formulations with concentrations determined by a liquid chromatographic procedure. The two procedures gave comparable results. Automation of the method means the amount of reagents used and residues generated are decreased. The system allows the required analysis sequence to be programmed using suitable software.     

2 alpha-(3-hydroxypropyl)- and 2 alpha-(3-hydroxypropoxy)-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 accessible to vitamin D receptor mutant related to hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets

Hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the vitamin D receptor, which lead to resistance to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)]. We found that the A ring-modified analogues, 2alpha-(3-hydroxypropyl)- and 2alpha-(3-hydroxypropoxy)-1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3), (O1C3 and O2C3) can bind better than the natural hormone to the mutant VDR (R274A), which similar to the HVDRR mutant, R274L, had lost the hydrogen bond to the 1alpha-hydroxyl group of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3).