Development and validation of a liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of latanoprost free acid in rabbit aqueous humor and ciliary body

A rapid, selective and sensitive method for quantification of latanoprost free acid in rabbit aqueous humor (AH) and ciliary body (CB) using reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry has been developed and validated. Quantification in AH and CB was achieved by stable isotope dilution employing tetra-deuterated analog of latanoprost free acid, used as internal standard. Sample preparation was based on protein precipitation with methanol in AH, and on liquid extraction with a mixture of ethyl acetate and isopropanol 60:40 (v/v) in CB. Elution was achieved on an octylsilica (C8) column, using an isocratic elution method. Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, using ESI in positive ion selected reaction monitoring mode. Calibration curves were linear in the validated concentration ranges of 10-160 ng/mL in AH and 80-1280 ng/g in CB. The accuracy and precision values, obtained from three different sets of quality control samples, each analyzed in triplicate on three different days, were within the generally accepted criteria for analytical methods (< 15%). The limit of detection was 30.66 pg/mL in AH and 237.75 pg/g in CB. The assay proved to be accurate and precise when applied to the in vivo study of latanoprost free acid in rabbit AH and CB after single administration of an eye drops containing latanoprost.     

1,2,9,16,17,24-hexathia[2.1.2.1]-4,6,8,11,13,15,19,21,23,26,28,30-dodecamethyl-metacyclophane : A novel macrocyclic polysulphur compound by direct sulphuration of mesitylene

The synthesis of 1,2,9,16,17,24 - hexathia[2.1.2.1] - 4,6,8,11,13,15,19,21,23,26,28,30 - dodecamethyl - metacyclophane by direct sulphuration of mesitylene, the first report of a single-step synthesis of an aromatic macrocycle with alternating sulphide and disulphide linkages, is reported. Structure determination of this compound was achieved by mass spectrometry, and by reductive degradation to 3,3'-dithio-dimesitylsulphide and reoxidation of the latter to the original macrocycle. Some evidence concerning the probable pathway to macrocycle formation is reported.     

Laser induced reorder in Pb implanted Ge

Ge samples implanted with 40 keV Pb at a fluence of 3×10¹⁵/cm² were irradiated with ruby laser single pulses of 15ns duration. Reordering of the damaged layer occurs for energy density irradiation above 0.6 J/cm². The Pb atoms redistribute with a large component at the sample surface which is easily etched off. The remaining part of Pb impurities is substitutionally located, and the concentration exceeds the solid solubility limit by three order of magnitude. The formation of the metastable solution is explained in terms of a transient liquid layer produced during laser irradiation.     

Oxazolidinone Antibiotics: Chemical,Biological and Analytical Aspects

This review covers the main aspects concerning the chemistry, the biological activity and the analytical determination of oxazolidinones, the only new class of synthetic antibiotics advanced in clinical use over the past 50 years. They are characterized by a chemical structure including the oxazolidone ring with the S configuration of substituent at C5, the acylaminomethyl group linked to C5 and the N-aryl substituent. The synthesis of oxazolidinones has gained increasing interest due to their unique mechanism of action that assures high antibiotic efficiency and low susceptibility to resistance mechanisms. Here, the main features of oxazolidinone antibiotics licensed or under development, such as Linezolid, Sutezolid, Eperezolid, Radezolid, Contezolid, Posizolid, Tedizolid, Delpazolid and TBI-223, are discussed. As they are protein synthesis inhibitors active against a wide spectrum of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, their biological activity is carefully analyzed, together with the drug delivery systems recently developed to overcome the poor oxazolidinone water solubility. Finally, the most employed analytical techniques for oxazolidinone determination in different matrices, such as biological fluids, tissues, drugs and natural waters, are reviewed. Most are based on HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) coupled with UV-Vis or mass spectrometer detectors, but, to a lesser extent are also based on spectrofluorimetry or voltammetry.     

Characterization of the protein profile of donkey's milk whey fraction

Characterization of the protein profile of the whey fraction from a milk sample taken from an individual donkey belonging to the 'Ragusana' species of the East of Sicily is reported. Direct RP-HPLC/electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS analysis of the whey fraction allowed the detection of some unknown components, together with the identification of already known whey proteins. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-TOF/MS and RP-HPLC/ESI-MS/MS analysis of the enzymatic digests of the unknown components resulted the identification and characterization of (1) two beta-casein fragments; (2) the sequence of donkey's serum albumin; and (3) the oxidized methionine forms of lysozyme B and alpha-lactoalbumin. One of the two beta-casein fragments corresponds to the sequence Val(176)-Arg(189) of the horse's beta-casein. The second one corresponds the C-terminal sequence Tyr(199)-Val(226) of the horse's beta-casein, with four amino acid substitutions (Q --> R(203), L/I --> P(206), F --> L(210) and P --> A(219)). Both fragments, reasonably arising by endogenous proteases cleavage of the donkey's beta-casein, could be potential biologically active peptides. Direct mass spectrometric sequence characterization of the detected donkey's serum albumin reveals the presence of the amino acid substitution Val --> Ile at position 497 with respect to the cDNA deduced sequence. The oxidized forms of lysozyme B and alpha-lactoalbumin are selectively oxidized at methionine 79 and methionine 90, respectively.     

Fluorescent sensors for Hg(2+) in micelles: a new approach that transforms an ON-OFF into an OFF-ON response as a function of the lipophilicity of the receptor

A new approach to the use of micelles in the fluorescent sensing of metal cations is proposed and applied to the case of Hg(2+). We demonstrate how it is possible to transform a system from an ON-OFF to an OFF-ON sensor by changing the length of the chain used to lipophilise a ligand that resides inside TritonX-100 micelles together with pyrene as the fluorophore. Three tetrathia-monoaza macrocyclic ligands have been synthesised with the same ring but functionalised on the nitrogen atom with a methyl (C1-NS4), an n-butyl (C4-NS4) or an n-dodecyl (C12-NS4) chain. The three ligands have been fully characterised in water containing TritonX-100 micelles by means of potentiometric titrations and their apparent protonation and complexation constants with Hg(2+) were determined. On the basis of the distribution diagrams obtained, the more lipophilic C12-NS4 has been developed as an ON-OFF fluorescent sensor for mercury: working at pH<4, in the absence of Hg(2+) the ligand is inside the micelles, protonated and non-quenching, while on addition of mercury the [C12-NS4Hg](2+) complex forms which remains inside the micelles and is quenching. On the other hand, the ligand of intermediate chain length, C4-NS4, can be used to obtain an OFF-ON sensor at 7.07.0 the ligand is unprotonated, it stays inside the micelles and is quenching, while addition of Hg(2+) in the 7.0-9.5 pH range results in the formation of [C4-NS4Hg](2+), which is hydrophilic enough to leave the micelles and to be released into the bulk solution where it is no longer capable of quenching pyrene fluorescence. Additional studies on C1-NS4, C3-NS4 and C8-NS4 indicate that the optimal chain length to observe this OFF-ON behaviour is C(3)-C(4).     

SIT parameters for 1:2 electrolytes and correlation with Pitzer coefficients

The empirical parameters of a two-parameter SIT equation were determined for some 1:2 electrolytes: chlorides, bromides, iodides, nitrates, perchlorates of alkali earth metals and sulfates of alkali metals. A wide range of ionic strengths (0 < I < or = 18 mol kg(-1)) and t = 25 degrees C was considered. Canonical correlation analysis showed quite significant correlations between SIT and Pitzer interaction coefficients for different classes of 1:2 type electrolytes.     

Decay modes of 24Mg excited at 46.4 MeV

⁸Be_gs coincidences with ¹²C, ⁸Be_gs and α-particles produced in the ¹²C +¹²C interaction at 65 MeV have been measured in a wide in-plane angular range. The 3 −⁸Be_gs final state is found to be produced, even if poor statistics prevent any identification of the ¹⁶O states involved in the first stage of the process. The ⁸Be_gs−α and ⁸Be_gs−¹²C coincidence yields are found to be due to ¹²C and ¹⁶O excited states, decaying into the ⁸Be_gs+α and ¹²C +α systems, respectively. Received: 15 June 1998 / Revised version: 4 December 1998     

Hydrolysis of methyltin(IV) trichloride in aqueous NaCl and NaNO3 solutions at different ionic strengths and temperatures

The hydrolysis of methyltin(IV) trichloride (CH₃SnCl₃) has been studied in aqueous NaCl and NaNO₃ solutions (0 < I/mol dm⁻³ ≤ 1), at different temperatures (15 ≤ T/°C ≤ 45) by­potentiometric measurements (H⁺‐glass electrode). By considering the generic hydrolytic <?tw=97.2%>reaction pCH₃Sn³⁺ + qH₂O = (CH₃Sn)_p(OH)_q^3p−q<?tw>­+ qH⁺ (logβ_pq), we have the formation of five species and logβ₁₂ = −3.36, logβ₁₃ = −8.99, logβ₁₄ = −20.27 and logβ₂₅ = −7.61. The first hydrolysis step is measurable only at very low pH values and was not determined: a rough estimate of the hydrolysis constant is logβ₁₁ = −1.5 (± 0.5). The dependence on ionic strength of logβ_pq is quite different in NaNO₃ and NaCl solutions, and the formation at low pH values of the species CH₃Sn(OH)Cl⁺ has been found with logβ = −1.40. Hydrolysis constants strongly depend on temperature and from the relationships logβ_pq = f(T), ΔH ° values have been calculated. Speciation problems of CH₃Sn³⁺ in aqueous solution are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.