A rapid and sensitive UPLC‐MS/MS method for quantification of two caffeoylquinic acids and four main active components in rat plasma after an intravenous administration of Qingkailing injection and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Qingkailing (QKL) injection, a modified modern Chinese medicine preparation, is widely used in the clinic for its significant antipyretic and anti‐inflammatory effects, but its serious adverse drug reactions have attracted more and more attention. Series of caffeoylquinic acids in QKL are widely suspected to be the allergens responsible for these adverse drug reactions. Therefore, pharmacokinetic studies of the caffeoylquinic acids are needed. In this paper, a simple, rapid and sensitive ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the simultaneous determination of chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, baicalin, geniposide, cholic acid and hyodeoxycholic acid in rat plasma. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a BEH C₁₈ column by a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.40 mL/min in only 6.0 min. All analytes were monitored by multiple reaction monitoring mode with negative electrospray ionization. The calibration curves of these analytes were all linear (r > 0.9978) over wide concentration ranges. The intra‐ and inter‐ day precisions (relative standard deviations) were within 14.3% and accuracy (relative error) ranged from ?6.8 to 4.8%. The mean recoveries ranged from 74.5 to 105.6%. This validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of the six analytes in rats following an intravenous administration of QKL injection. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大鼠体内复方清开灵代谢物的分析

建立了复方中药清开灵代谢物的液相色谱-质谱/质谱分析方法。采用Phenomenex Luna C18色谱柱,以0.1%甲酸(A)及V(甲醇)∶和V(乙腈)=4∶1混合液(B)作流动相,采用梯度洗脱(0 min,B为0%;33min,B为60%;66 min,B为88%;75 min,B为100%),流速:0.5 mL/min,离子阱质谱负离子模式进行检测。通过差谱方法对可能的代谢物进行快速搜索。对发现的重要的代谢物根据分子量以及多级质谱的碎片离子数据,结合体内代谢反应规律,进行指认和结构鉴定。共鉴定了3个主要的代谢物,其中一个为黄芩苷的代谢物,另两个为绿原酸的代谢物,后两个代谢物未见文献报道。本实验为研究复方中药复杂体系体内的代谢产物提供了一个有效而且快捷的模式。     

Statistical properties of subgroups of free groups

The usual way to investigate the statistical properties of finitely generated subgroups of free groups, and of finite presentations of groups, is based on the so‐called word‐based distribution: subgroups are generated (finite presentations are determined) by randomly chosen k ‐tuples of reduced words, whose maximal length is allowed to tend to infinity. In this paper we adopt a different, though equally natural point of view: we investigate the statistical properties of the same objects, but with respect to the so‐called graph‐based distribution, recently introduced by Bassino, Nicaud and Weil. Here, subgroups (and finite presentations) are determined by randomly chosen Stallings graphs whose number of vertices tends to infinity. Our results show that these two distributions behave quite differently from each other, shedding a new light on which properties of finitely generated subgroups can be considered frequent or rare. For example, we show that malnormal subgroups of a free group are negligible in the graph‐based distribution, while they are exponentially generic in the word‐based distribution. Quite surprisingly, a random finite presentation generically presents the trivial group in this new distribution, while in the classical one it is known to generically present an infinite hyperbolic group. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2013     

Effect of Intrahippocampal Administration of α7 Subtype Nicotinic Receptor Agonist PNU-282987 and Its Solvent Dimethyl Sulfoxide on the Efficiency of Hypoxic Preconditioning in Rats

We have previously suggested a key role of the hippocampus in the preconditioning action of moderate hypobaric hypoxia (HBH). The preconditioning efficiency of HBH is associated with acoustic startle prepulse inhibition (PPI). In rats with PPI > 40%, HBH activates the cholinergic projections of hippocampus, and PNU-282987, a selective agonist of α7 nicotinic receptors (α7nAChRs), reduces the HBH efficiency and potentiating effect on HBH of its solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, anticholinesterase agent) when administered intraperitoneally. In order to validate the hippocampus as a key structure in the mechanism of hypoxic preconditioning and research a significance of α7nAChR activation in the hypoxic preconditioning, we performed an in vivo pharmacological study of intrahippocampal injections of PNU-282987 into the CA1 area on HBH efficiency in rats with PPI ≥ 40%. We found that PNU-282987 (30 μM) reduced HBH efficiency as with intraperitoneal administration, while DMSO (0.05%) still potentiated this effect. Thus, direct evidence of the key role of the hippocampus in the preconditioning effect of HBH and some details of this mechanism were obtained in rats with PPI ≥ 40%. The activation of α7nAChRs is not involved in the cholinergic signaling initiated by HBH or DMSO via any route of administration. Possible ways of the potentiating action of DMSO on HBH efficiency and its dependence on α7nAChRs are discussed.     

Optimal dividend and dynamic reinsurance strategies with capital injections and proportional costs

We consider an optimization problem of an insurance company in the diffusion setting, which controls the dividends payout as well as the capital injections. To maximize the cumulative expected discounted dividends minus the penalized discounted capital injections until the ruin time, there is a possibility of (cheap or non-cheap) proportional reinsurance. We solve the control problems by constructing two categories of suboptimal models, one without capital injections and one with no bankruptcy by capital injection. Then we derive the explicit solutions for the value function and totally characterize the optimal strategies. Particularly, for cheap reinsurance, they are the same as those in the model of no bankruptcy.     

清开灵注射液生产过程中金银花提取液的在线质量控制方法研究

为建立清开灵注射液生产过程中的中间体金银花提取液快速准确的在线质量控制方法, 通过对金银花提取液的UV原始光谱、一阶导数光谱进行波长点的数据筛选,选择与HPLC法测得的绿原酸含量相关性最好的光谱类型和波长点进行建模,建立绿原酸含量的UV预测方程。另取10批金银花提取液检验预测结果的可靠性。UV原始光谱中最佳波长为294 nm(r=0.991 9,n=28);一阶导数光谱中最佳波长为316 nm(r=0.995 9,n=28)。绿原酸含量的预测方程为：c(mg·mL-1)＝506.254 3×A_{316 nm}＋0.177 1。经检验,预测方程准确、可靠(r=0.997 1,n=10),可直接应用于在线检测。绿原酸含量的预测结果为：约90％的金银花提取液中绿原酸含量分布为0.4～4.0 mg·mL-1。此法简单、快速、准确,可作为清开灵注射液生产过程中金银花提取液的在线质量控制方法。     

Direct Determination of Total Chromium in Sea Water by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with Multiple Injections

The method of multiple injections coupled with graphite furnace and atomic absorption spectrometry is applied to direct determination of total chromium at extremely small concentrations in samples of open sea water. The method involves the in situ preconcentration of trace chromium in sea water onto a pyrocoated graphite tube by multiple injections (up to 4 × 90 μL) prior to analysis. The selected ashing temperature is up to 1800 °C, and the background signal caused by high sea-salt contents will be markedly reduced when the ashing time is prolonged up to 200 s. A CASS-2 reference sea water has been used as a quality control sample in the analyses of samples of open sea water samples; the results were found to agree with the certified value. Due to the use of a relatively large volume (up to 0.36 mL) of sample for direct determination of trace chromium in sea water, the detection limit for chromium is 0.057 ppb.     

AT-column, a novel concentrating technique for large-volume injections in gas chromatography

Nowadays, large-volume injection is widely used for the GC determination of trace analytes, specifically to improve detectability. The most popular injectors for large-volume injections are the programmable temperature vaporisation (PTV) injector and the cold on-column (COC) injector, where each device has its own advantages and limitations. The novel AT-column concentrating technique combines features of two other injection techniques, loop-type large-volume and vapour overflow. AT-column injection is based on solvent evaporation in an empty liner with solvent vapour discharge via the split line. Little or no optimisation is required. The only relevant parameter is the injection temperature which can easily be calculated using the equation of Antoine. As an application, AT-column injection is combined with GC-MS for the trace-level determination of labile analytes and with GC-flame ionisation detection for the analysis of high molecular weight polymer additives. In summary, AT-column is an injection technique that combines the inertness of the COC, and the flexibility and robustness of the PTV large-volume technique.     

应用高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测器-蒸发光散射检测器联用技术同时测定清开灵注射液中的五类有效成分

建立了复方清开灵注射液中5类主要有效成分的定量测定方法。应用高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测器-蒸发光散射检测器联用技术(HPLC-DAD-ELSD),根据各类成分紫外吸收光谱的差异,分别在240,254,280和330 nm波长下检测栀子苷、核苷(包括尿苷和腺苷)、黄芩苷和有机酸(包括绿原酸和咖啡酸)等4类成分,同时使用ELSD测定胆酸、熊去氧胆酸和猪去氧胆酸等3种甾体化合物,从而实现了清开灵注射液中5类有效成分(共9个化合物)的同时分离和定量测定。用该法测定了3个不同厂家的19批清开灵注射液成品。该法快速、准确,操作相对简单,为中药复方复杂体系的多组分定量测定和质量控制提供了一种可靠、合理且简便、易行的方法模式。