A rapid LC-MS-MS method for the determination of nicotine and cotinine in serum and saliva samples from smokers: validation and comparison with a radioimmunoassay method

The development and validation of a rapid liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) method for determination of nicotine and cotinine in smokers' serum is described. The method is based on solid-phase extraction in a 96-well plate format and requires only 100 microL of serum. Using normal-phase chromatography, both analytes elute in less than 1 min, which permits high sample throughput applications. The calibrated range is 2-100 ng/mL nicotine and 20-1,000 ng/mL cotinine. For known samples, recovery is 95-116% for nicotine and 93-94% for cotinine. The method is extended to rat serum and human saliva (cotinine only) using partial validation techniques. When compared with an existing radioimmunoassay method in our laboratory, the LC-MS-MS method gives improved accuracy, precision, and sample throughput.     

Capillary-channeled polymer fibers as stationary phases in liquid chromatography separations

A method utilizing capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers as stationary phases in high-performance liquid chromatographic separations has been investigated. Polymeric fibers of differing backbones (polypropylene and polyester) having nominal diameters of approximately 50 and approximately 35 microm and a channeled structure on their periphery were packed into stainless steel tubing (305 x 4.6 mm I.D.) for use in reversed-phase separations of various mixtures. The fibers have eight channels running continuously along the axis which exhibit very high surface activity. As such, solvent transport is affected through the channels through wicking action. Bundles of 1000-3000 fibers are loaded co-linearly into the tubing, providing flow channels extending the entire length of the columns. As a result, backing pressures are significantly lowered (approximately 50% reduction) in comparison to packed-sphere columns. In addition, the capital costs of the fiber material (< US$0.25 per column) are very attractive. Flow-rates of up to 5 ml/min can be used to achieve near baseline separation of related compounds in reasonable run times, indicating very fast mobile phase mass transfer (C-terms). The polymer stationary phases demonstrate high selectivity for a wide variety of analytes with gradient elution employed successfully in many instances. Specifically, separations of three polyaromatic hydrocarbons (benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, pyrene), mixtures of both organic and inorganic lead compounds [chlorotriethyllead, chlorotriphenyllead, lead nitrate, lead(II) phthalocyanine], and a lipid standard of triglycerides were accomplished on the polymeric stationary phases. Other species of biological interest, including groups of aliphatic and aromatic amino acids have also been effectively separated. The reversed-phase nature of the fiber surfaces is supported through atomic force microscopy measurements using hydrophilic and hydrophobic functionalized polystyrene beads as the probe tips. Separations of the various analytes demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing C-CP fibers as stationary phases in reversed-phase LC. It is envisioned that columns of this nature would be particularly useful in prep-scale separations as well as for immobilization matrices for organic constituents in aqueous environments.     

Synthesis of the fungal natural product (−)-xylariamide A

The first synthesis of the fungal natural product (−)-xylariamide A 1 is reported. N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide induced coupling of d-tyrosine with (E)-but-2-enedioic acid 2,5-dioxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl ester methyl ester 5 produced the dechloro natural product 6, which was subsequently monochlorinated using oxone and KCl to yield synthetic 1. (−)-Xylariamide A 1, (+)-xylariamide A 2 and (−)-dechloroxylariamide A 6 displayed no cytotoxic or antimicrobial activity.     

Mass spectrometry of transition-metal π-complexes. III—a study of an iron-coordinated tautomer of phenol

A study of the fragmentation of the \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \left[{\left({{\rm C}_{\rm 6} {\rm H}_{\rm 6} {\rm O}} \right){\rm Fe}} \right]_{}^{_.^ + } $\end{document} ion formed from two different precursors suggests that the ions adopt different structures over that part of the energy distribution giving rise to decomposition in the ion source.     

Artificial red cells with crosslinked hemoglobin membranes

Artificial cells containing concentrated hemoglobin (Hb) solution were prepared by interfacial polymerization of Hb with glutaraldehyde (GA) in liquid membrane capsules (LMC). A solution containing 30% of Hb was emulsified in mineral oil as red cell-size microdroplets, and this emulsion was dispersed in an aqueous phase containing glutaraldehyde to form LMC. The LMC were semipermeable templates that held the microdroplets of Hb in suspension while GA diffused through the oil to the microdroplet surfaces. The GA crosslinked Hb at the surface of each microdroplet to form an artificial red-cell membrane encapsulating Hb solution. A water-soluble surfactant was used to eject the cells from the LMC and suspend them in saline. Several surfactants were evaluated. Cell size was controlled by agitation speed during preparation of the original emulsion. Cells of 2.52 = ±1.69 μm were prepared. The encapsulated Hb retained capacity to bind and release O₂. The cells had aP ₅₀ of 8.9 torr (1200 Pa) and a capacity of 0.55 cc O₂/g of total Hb, indicating that the crosslinked portion of the Hb did not contribute to O₂ transport.     

Reduction of the pertechnetate anion with bidentate phosphine ligands

The reduction of ammonium pertechnetate with bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm), and with diphenyl-2-pyridyl phosphine (Ph(2)Ppy), has been investigated. The neutral Tc(II) complex, trans-TcCl(2)(dppm)(2) (1), has been isolated from the reaction of (NH(4))[TcO(4)] with excess dppm in refluxing EtOH/HCl. Chemical oxidation with ferricinium hexafluorophosphate results in formation of the cationic Tc(III) analogue, trans-[TcCl(2)(dppm)(2)](PF(6)) (2). The dppm ligands adopt the chelating bonding mode in both complexes, resulting in strained four member metallocycles. With excess PhPpy, the reduction of (NH(4))[TcO(4)] in refluxing EtOH/HCl yields a complex with one chelating Ph(2)Ppy ligand and one unidentate Ph(2)Ppy ligand, mer-TcCl(3)(Ph(2)Ppy-P,N)(Ph(2)Ppy-P) (3). The cationic Tc(III) complexes, trans-[TcCl(2)(Ph(2)P(O)py-N,O)(2)](PF(6)) (4) and trans-[TcCl(2)(dppmO-P,O)(2)](PF(6)) (5) (Ph(2)P(O)py = diphenyl-2-pyridyl phosphine monoxide and dppmO = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane monoxide), have been isolated as byproducts from the reactions of (NH(4))[TcO(4)] with the corresponding phosphine. The products have been characterized in the solid state and in solution via a combination of single-crystal X-ray crystallography and spectroscopic techniques. The solution state spectroscopic results are consistent with the retention of the bonding modes revealed in the crystal structures.     

Investigation of Pd leaching from supported Pd catalysts during the Heck reaction

Palladium supported on amorphous silica, mercapto-functionalized silica, amine functionalized silica, and zeolite Y has been studied as a catalyst in the Heck reaction of iodobenzene with butyl acrylate in the presence of triethylamine base and dimethylformamide solvent. Trapping of soluble Pd with poly(4-vinylpyridine), hot filtration tests during the batchwise Heck reaction, and reaction tests of effluents from a fixed bed continuous reactor support the conclusion that leached Pd is the active phase in the Heck reaction for all of the catalysts tested. Two different paths of Pd leaching that depend on the chemical state of the Pd were elucidated in this study. Oxidative addition of aryl halide to reduced Pd caused leaching of samples containing metallic particles. However, for a zeolite Y sample containing unreduced cationic Pd, the presence of triethylamine base was required to leach Pd into solution. These two paths of Pd leaching are consistent with the generally accepted mechanism of the Heck reaction.     

Electrolytically generated silver(II) as a coulometric titrant

The use of electrolytically generated silver(II) as a coulometric titrant has been studied. Difficulties arising from the current efficiency for generation of silver (II) at a platinum or gold electrode and from the reduction of silver(II) by water, have been overcome. The precautions necessary for accurate titrations of oxalic acid, cerium(III), arsenic(III) and vanadium(IV) by amperometric or potentiometric methods are detailed. Manganese and chromium could not be determined directly. Substances which reduce nitric acid could be determined if care was taken.     

Cyclodextrin-Containing Polymers for Gene Delivery

Cyclodextrin-containing polymers are now being explored as vehicles for delivering nucleic acids into cells. The structures of the cyclodextrin-containing polycations affect the nucleic acid delivery efficiencies and their toxicities. Of interest is the fact that the cyclodextrin-containing polymers reveal lower toxicities than polymers that lack the cyclodextrins. The cyclodextrins endow the nucleic acid delivery vehicles with the ability to be modified by compounds that form inclusion complexes with the cyclodextrins, and these modifications can be performed without disruption of the polymer-nucleic acid interactions. Thus, cyclodextrin-containing polymers provide unique properties for gene delivery.     

A simplified device for protein identification by microcapillary gradient liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A simplified device and procedure have been developed for microcapillary gradient liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This procedure has proved useful in identifying low level quantities of proteins from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gel bands. Microelectrospray needles are packed with reversed-phase resin and function both as a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column and a nanospray mass spectrometer tip when interfaced between an HPLC and ion trap mass spectrometer. Variable submicroliter flow rates are generated by flow splitting between the microelectrospray capillary and an HPLC system. A manual injector is used to inject a protein digest mixture that binds to the column and is then washed at a high flow rate (2 microL/min post split). Gradient elution of bound peptides was initiated by the injection of a filled loop of 70% v/v methanol (5 microL) concomitant with a reduction of flow rate (0.1 microL/min post split). This forms a diffusion-dependent gradient of variable length (typically 15-30 min in length) depending upon the final flow rate. Chromatographic separations of a standard solution digest demonstrate that this diffusion-dependent gradient provides reasonable separations such that multiple peptide identifications by MS/MS can be obtained. Application of this methodology to the analysis of several in-gel-digested gel-separated proteins is presented to demonstrate its utility.