Application of Phosphorus-31 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrosocopy for the Study of Human Diabetic Cataractogenesis

Intact human Senses incubated at 5.5 mM (normal) and 35.5 mM glucose were examined by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy. Lense in 35.5 mM glucose showed an altered metabolic steady-state characterized by a lowered adenosine triphosphate/inorganic orthophosphate ratio. ³¹P NMR spectroscopy can be used to measure metabolic changes in the lens. This model offers an important means to study dynamic metabolism in the human lens in the setting of diabetic cataractogenesis.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of protein by light-scattering technique with Eriochrome Blue Black R

Based on the interaction between Eriochrome Blue Black R (EBBR) and proteins, which causes a strong light-scattering signal with the maximum scattering peak located at 398 nm, a simple, rapid, sensitive and selective method is developed for the determination of proteins by the light-scattering technique using a common spectrofluoremeter. Under proper experimental conditions, the protein determination can be performed in the range of 0.1-25, 0.1-20 and 0.25-25 μg ml⁻¹ for bovine serum albumin (BSA), human serum albumin (HSA) and human immunoglobulin G (IgG), respectively. The detection limit, calculated as 3 times the S.D. of nine blank measurements, are 33 μg l⁻¹ for BSA, 25 μg l⁻¹ for HSA and 38 μg l⁻¹ for IgG. Moreover, there is no significant difference among the scattering signals yielded by HSA, IgG and BSA, and almost no interference of many amino acids and metal ions. The method has been satisfactorily applied to the direct determination of the total protein in human serum, saliva and urine samples. The results obtained from the studies on the binding characteristics of EBBR to BSA indicated that an electrostatic force existed in the binding system, and the binding constant (K) and the number of the binding sites (n) at 25 °C are 1.69×10⁵ l mol⁻¹ and 0.946, respectively.     

Capillary electrophoretic determination of triamterene, methotrexate, and creatinine in human urine

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method using a fused-silica capillary (60.2 cm x 75 microm ID) was investigated for the determination of triamterene (TRI), methotrexate (MTX), and creatinine (CREA) in human urine. The separation was performed using a hydrodynamic injection time of 7 s (0.5 psi), a voltage of 25 kV, a capillary temperature of 30 degrees C, and 40 mM phosphoric acid adjusted to pH 2.25 by addition of triethanolamine as separation electrolyte. Under these conditions, analysis takes about 15 min. A linear response over the 0.5-15.0 mg L(-1) concentration range was found for TRI and MTX, and 0.5-80.0 mg L(-1) for CREA. Dilution of the sample (water:urine, 1:1 for TRI and MTX, and 1:25 for CREA determination) was the only step necessary prior to analysis by electrophoresis. The developed method is easy, rapid, and sensitive and has been applied to determine triamterene,methotrexate, and creatinine in urine samples with satisfactory results.     

Determination of L-tryptophan-serum albumin binding by high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary Two high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques were developed for the determination of binding constants in the interaction of serum albumin with L-tryptophan: internal calibration and external calibration. The results obtained were compared with those obtained by the classical method of equilibrium dialysis and by gel filtration. While all the methods are equally reliable, the internal and external calibration techniques seem to be superior in their simplicity, speed and convenience.     

IR-spectral investigation of the structure of glasses in the Fe2O3-V2O5 system

The structure of glasses in the Fe₂O₃-V₂O₅ system in the 0–50 mol% Fe₂O₃ range is studied by IR-spectroscopy. It is found that the introduction of Fe₂O₃ favours the transformation of the VO₅-groups into VO₄ ones. This effect may be shown with the aid of IR-spectra, owing to the fact that these glasses are characterized by two high-frequency bands at 1020 and 930 cm^–1. The first is determined by the vibrations of the short V=O nonbridging bonds in the VO₅-groups, while the second is assigned to the vibrations of the V—O-bonds in deformed VO₄-tetrahedra.

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IR-spektroskopische Strukturuntersuchung von Gläsern des Systems Fe₂O₃-V₂O₅

Zusammenfassung Die Struktur von Gläsern des Systems Fe₂O₃-V₂O₅ in dem Bereich von 0–50 Molprozent Fe₂O₃ wurde mit Hilfe der IR-Spektroskopie untersucht. Zusatz von Fe₂O₃ begünstigt die Umwandlung der VO₅- in VO₄-Gruppen. Das kann in den IR-Spektren durch zwei Banden bei 1020 und 930 cm^–1 festgestellt werden. Die erste wird durch Schwingungen der kurzen V=O-Nichtbrücken-bindungen in den VO₅-Gruppen verursacht, die zweite wird auf Schwingungen der V—O-Bindungen in dem deformierten VO₄-Tetraeder zurückgeführt.

     

Analysis of Mepivacaine in Human Serum by Gas Chromatography After Solid-Phase Extraction

A method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) has been developed for analysis of mepivacaine in human serum. A procedure for isolation of mepivacaine and lidocaine (internal standard) from human serum by use of Chromosorb 104 (acrylonitrile–divinylbenzene polymer) as extraction adsorbent is described in detail. Analysis was performed by gas chromatography on an HP-INNOWax (cross-linked PEG) capillary column, with flame ionization detection, after splitless injection. Relative standard deviations ranged between 3.6 and 4.4 for a serum mepivacaine concentration of 0.5 g mL^–1 and between 4.7 and 5.9 for a concentration of 1 g mL^–1. Recoveries were approximately 95%. The method was applied in a stomatological clinic to healthy volunteers to whom anesthesia with mepivacaine was administered.     

Comparison of two methods for the extraction of fat from human milk

We compared two methods for the extraction of fat from human milk. Pure fat extraction techniques are necessary for qualitative and quantitative analysis of milk fat, of which triglycerides account for more than 98%. Method I was a conventional liquid-liquid system for the fat extraction while method II was a faster approach using a haematocrit technique. No significant differences were observed between both methods neither in the fat content determined gravimetrically, nor in qualitative and quantitative analysis of triglycerides by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD). We conclude that method II offers substantial advantages over the conventional method (method I). The former requires less reagents and material and is simpler and less time-consuming (approximately 30 min instead of 90 min). Therefore, a new method will make it possible to extract fat of more human milk in the same time.     

Two problematic human polymorphic Alu insertions

Analysis of two previously described polymorphic Alu insertions (Sb19.3 and NBC3) in world-wide human populations generated genotypic frequencies grossly in violation of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations. GenBank searches at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and sequencing analyses revealed that samples homozygous for the Sb19.3 Alu insertion amplify a band indistinguishable in size to the lack of insertion amplicon, corresponding to a paralogous locus on chromosome 4. This locus displays a very similar sequence (84%) to that flanking the Sb19.3 Alu insertion located at chromosome 19. Moreover, we have determined that NBC3, a different Alu insertion, is not located in the pseudoautosomal region of the Y-chromosome, as previously reported, but in position Yq11.2. Also, the band that mimics the lack of insertion amplicon corresponds to a paralogous locus located at chromosome X with a similarity of 92% to the sequence flanking the NBC3 Alu insertion. Finally, the utilization of newly designed primers avoided amplification from the paralogous loci and allowed a reliable assignation of genotypes for both loci. Unlike previously reported, using our new primers the Y-specific locus NBC3 was found not to be polymorphic in the populations analyzed.     

Effects of DNA secondary structure on oligonucleotide probe binding efficiency

Secondary structure motifs in nucleic acid probes generally impair intended hybridization reactions and so efforts to predict and avoid such structures are commonly employed in probe design schemes. Another key facet of probe design that has received much less attention, however, is that secondary structure at targeted probe binding site regions may also impair hybridization. Thus, evaluation of both probe and target site secondary structures together should improve hybridization prediction and design effectiveness. Several challenges confound this goal, including imperfect empirical rules and parameters underlying predictions and the fact that folding algorithms scale poorly with respect to sequence length. Here, we attempt to quantify the consequences of target site structure on predicted hybridization using sequences sampled from the human genome. We also provide a methodology for choosing a reasonable “window size” around target sites that is as small as possible without compromising folding algorithm prediction accuracy.