Determination of ethyl glucuronide in urine using reversed-phase HPLC and pulsed electrochemical detection (Part II)

A direct, versatile method for the determination of ethyl glucuronide (EtG), a biomarker of ethanol consumption, in urine has been developed using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with pulsed electrochemical detection (PED). EtG and methyl glucuronide (MetG), which serves as an internal standard, are readily separated using a mobile phase consisting of 1% acetic acid/acetonitrile (98/2, v/v). Post-column addition of NaOH allows for the detection of all glucuronides using PED at a gold working electrode. Upon optimization, EtG was found to have a limit of detection of 0.03 μg/mL (7 pmol; 50 μL injection volume) and repeatability at the limit of quantitation of 1.7%R.S.D. (relative standard deviation). Solid-phase extraction (SPE) using an aminopropyl phase was used to remove interferents in urine samples prior to their analysis. Compound recovery following SPE was approximately 50 ± 2%. The forensic utility of this method was further validated by the analysis of 29 post-mortem urine specimens, whose results agreed strongly with certified determinations.     

羟基化合物及其葡醛酸苷化学结构与RP—HPLC保留行为相关性研究

采用体外孵育生物合成方法获得羟基化合物葡醛酸苷系列化合物，并对其反相高效液相色谱保留行为及底物与其葡醛酸结合物保留行为相关性进行了研究，建立了相应的结构－色谱保留行为相关性方程及葡醛酸苷类代谢物保留行为的预测方法。将ＱＳＲＲ研究扩展到药物代谢物领域，对药物Ⅱ相葡醛酸化代谢产物的ＨＰＬＣ分析提供了帮助。     

Issues pertaining to the analysis of buprenorphine and its metabolites by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

“Substitution therapy” and the use of buprenorphine (B) as an agent for treating heroin addiction continue to gain acceptance and have recently been implemented in Taiwan. Mature and widely utilized gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) technology can complement the low cost and highly sensitive immunoassay (IA) approach to facilitate the implementation of analytical tasks supporting compliance monitoring and pharmacokinetic/pharmacogenetic studies. Issues critical to GC–MS analysis of B and norbuprenorphine (NB) (free and as glucuronides), including extraction, hydrolysis, derivatization, and quantitation approaches were studied, followed by comparing the resulting data against those derived from IA and two types of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) methods. Commercial solid-phase extraction devices, highly effective for recovering all metabolites, may not be suitable for the analysis of free B and NB; acetyl-derivatization products exhibit the most favorable chromatographic, ion intensity, and cross-contribution characteristics for GC–MS analysis. Evaluation of IA, GC–MS, and LC–MS/MS data obtained in three laboratories has proven the 2-aliquot GC–MS protocol effective for the determination of free B and NB and their glucuronides.     

Identification and Directed Development of Non‐Organic Catalysts with Apparent Pan‐Enzymatic Mimicry into Nanozymes for Efficient Prodrug Conversion

Nanozymes, nanoparticles that mimic the natural activity of enzymes, are intriguing academically and are important in the context of the Origin of Life. However, current nanozymes offer mimicry of a narrow range of mammalian enzymes, near‐exclusively performing redox reactions. We present an unexpected discovery of non‐proteinaceous enzymes based on metals, metal oxides, 1D/2D‐materials, and non‐metallic nanomaterials. The specific novelty of these findings lies in the identification of nanozymes with apparent mimicry of diverse mammalian enzymes, including unique pan‐glycosidases. Further novelty lies in the identification of the substrate scope for the lead candidates, specifically in the context of bioconversion of glucuronides, that is, human metabolites and privileged prodrugs in the field of enzyme‐prodrug therapies. Lastly, nanozymes are employed for conversion of glucuronide prodrugs into marketed anti‐inflammatory and antibacterial agents, as well as “nanozyme prodrug therapy” to mediate antibacterial measures.     

The Preliminary Studies of Electrochemical Behavior of Paracetamol and Its Metabolites on Glassy Carbon Electrode by Voltammetric Methods

The new, rapid and sensitive method for the determination of paracetamol (PAR) and its glucuronide (PG) and sulfate (PS) metabolites is proposed. The electrochemical properties of the compounds were examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). All measurements were carried out in Britton–Robinson buffers (BR) with different pH values over the pH range 1.81–7.24. The preliminary research indicated that PAR could be determined simultaneously with one of its metabolites. The linearity of calibration curves was obtained for concentrations between 1.65×10^?5 and 1.65×10^?4 M for PAR, 1.53×10^?5 and 1.53×10^?4 M for PG and 2.17×10^?5 and 1.52×10^?4 M for PS.     

An improved method to detect ethyl glucuronide in urine using reversed-phase liquid chromatography and pulsed electrochemical detection

Pulsed electrochemical detection (PED) following reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) has been applied recently to the detection of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in the urine of live and deceased individuals. In this paper, several key improvements to the method are made to enhance sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy. These improvements include (i) further optimization of the sample preparation procedure that has increased the recovery from ca. 50% to 84 ± 3% in synthetic urine matrix; (ii) changing the internal standard from methyl glucuronide (MetG) to propyl glucuronide (ProG), which does not elute within the interference of the matrix; and (iii) altering the mobile phase of the separation from acetonitrile to t-butanol to virtually eliminate signal suppression in PED. As a consequence, detection limits have been reduced to 0.01 μg mL⁻¹, reproducibility has been improved by a factor of two, and sample size has been reduced five-fold. Blind studies in synthetic urine showed no significant difference between the amount recovered and the true value determined at the 95% confidence level for all samples. Importantly, PED requires no derivatization, and it can detect virtually all glucuronides.     

Quantification of urinary conjugates of bisphenol A, 2,5-dichlorophenol,and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone in humans by online solid phase extraction–high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Urinary concentrations of phenols or their metabolites have been used as biomarkers to assess the prevalence of exposure to these compounds in the general population. Total urinary concentrations, which include both free and conjugated (glucuronide and sulfated) forms of the compounds, are usually reported. From a toxicologic standpoint, the relative concentrations of the free species compared with their conjugated analogs can be important because conjugation may reduce the potential biologic activity of the phenols. In this study, we determined the percentage of glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of three phenolic compounds, bisphenol A (BPA), 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP), and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (benzophenone-3, BP-3) in 30 urine samples collected between 2000 and 2004 from a demographically diverse group of anonymous adult volunteers. We used a sensitive on-line solid phase extraction–isotope dilution–high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method. These three phenols were detected frequently in the urine samples tested. Only small percentages of the compounds (9.5% for BPA, and 3% for 2,5-DCP and BP-3) were excreted in their free form. The percentage of the sulfate conjugate was about twice that of the free compound. The glucuronide conjugate was the major metabolite, representing 69.5% (BPA), 89% (2,5-DCP), and 84.6% (BP-3) of the total amount excreted in urine. These results are in agreement with those reported before which suggested that BPA-glucuronide was an important BPA urinary metabolite in humans. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing the distribution of urinary conjugates of BP-3 and 2,5-DCP in humans.     

Separation of phenolic compounds and corresponding glucuronides by coupled-column micellar reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary An isocratic HPLC technique for separation of phenolic compounds and corresponding glucuronides in urine is developed. Sample pre-treatment, often a tedious and rate-limiting factor, was eliminated by use of a coupled column system. Spiked urine samples were injected directly into a C₄ precolumn and a selected fraction was transferred on-line from the precolumn to a silanized C₁₈ analytical column in the backflush mode. Analyte peak enrichment was attained by employing mobile phases of different elution strengths. The weaker mobile phase (7% v/v acetonitrile) was used to strongly retain the analytes on the precolumn while most of the polar endogenous compounds were washed to waste. Elution and transfer of the trapped analytes from the precolumn to the analytical column was achieved by introducing a stronger mobile phase (20% v/v acetonitrile) with the aid of a switching valve. The use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as counter ion and micellar agent in the mobile phase involved a high selectivity for the analytes relative to the urine matrix components and allowed simultaneous analysis of the glucuronides and parent compounds without the need of gradient elution. The system demonstrated a good repeatability on spiked urine samples. Who passed away July 21, 1996     

A direct assessment of mycotoxin biomarkers in human urine samples by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Detection of mycotoxin biomarkers in urine of humans and animals provides a direct approach for assessing exposure to these mycotoxins as opposed to the indirect approach of food analysis, which in most cases is affected by the heterogeneity of the toxin in the food samples. Seven (7) mycotoxins and their metabolites (total 18 analytes) were selected and an LC–MS/MS method for their determination in human urine was developed and validated. The method consisted of direct analysis of two mycotoxin conjugates, deoxynivalenol-glucuronide and zearalenone-glucuronide without beta glucuronidase digestion of the urine samples. Since high method sensitivity is of utmost importance in such study, critical factors which could improve the analyte recovery and method sensitivity were investigated by a D-optimal experimental design. Urine samples (10 mL) were first extracted with 15 mL ethyl acetate/formic acid (99/1, v/v) followed by SAX SPE clean-up of the acidified aqueous fraction. Both extracts were combined and analyzed using an LC–MS/MS system operated in the positive ionization mode. A total run time of 28 min was adopted with all the 18 analytes eluting within 15 min.     

Improved Fluorescence Assay of Liposome Lysis

Abstract

A simple fluorescence assay for liposome stability is described. A fluorogenic enzyme substrate. 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucuronide, is encapsulated in liposomes. In the presence of E. Coli β-glucuronidase, any of the substrate that has been released into the medium is converted to 4-methylum-belliferone, which is monitored fluorimetrically. The method offers several advantages over current methods, including high gain, extremely low leakage, and facile quantitation. The use of the assay as part of a prototype immunoassay is decribed.