Improved micro-method for the high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of caffeine and paraxanthine in biological fluids

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is reported for reproducibly and sensitively quantitating caffeine and its N-demethylated metabolite paraxanthine in micro-samples. A 5-μm reversed-phase radial compression column and 214-nm fixed wavelength ultraviolet detector were used to attain a sensitivity sufficient to quantitate these compounds at concentratios as low as 80 ng/ml using only 25 μl of sample. The assay is applicable to microliter samples of whole blood, serum, plasma, saliva, amniotic, cerebro-spinal and gastric fluids such as might be obtained in studies involving small animals or neonates. The utility of the assay is illustrated with caffeine and paraxanthine levels measured in several maternal and fetal fluids following constant-rate intravenous infusion of caffeine into a rabbit throughout pregnancy.     

Selecting representative model micro-organisms

Background  

Micro-biological research relies on the use of model organisms that act as representatives of their species or subspecies, these are frequently well-characterized laboratory strains. However, it has often become apparent that the model strain initially chosen does not represent important features of the species. For micro-organisms, the diversity of their genomes is such that even the best possible choice of initial strain for sequencing may not assure that the genome obtained adequately represents the species. To acquire information about a species' genome as efficiently as possible, we require a method to choose strains for analysis on the basis of how well they represent the species.     

Dielectric spectroscopy for noninvasive examination of corneal tissue]

Dielectric spectroscopy is a non-invasive contact technique that permits the in vivo measurement of the specific electrical properties of biological tissue induced by an external electrical field. Permittivity, relaxation time and specific conductivity as a function of corneal hydration (wet weight/dry weight) and temperature were measured in 10 porcine corneas. Variation of tissue hydration has a minor influence on the signal, with a significant variation of the signal being detectable only for relatively dry tissue. A much greater influence was found for temperature, in particular on relaxation times. Dielectric spectroscopy provides us with an opportunity to detect structural, in particular temperature-induced, changes in living tissue. In the frequency range investigated, hydration has only a small influence on the dielectric properties of the tissue.     

Mode of action studies on a Manduca sexta diuretic hormone

The mode of action of a diuretic hormone from pharate adult Manduca Sexta heads, which triggers fluid loss in M. sexta larvae and Pieris rapae adults, was studied. In vivo, Mas-DH (M. sexta diuretic hormone) decreased fluid absorption from larval recta, and increased levels of the second messenger cAMP in recta and Malpighian tubules (Mt) from larvae, and in fat body of larvae and adult M. sexta. In vitro, Mas-DH triggered minor changes in fluid loss from adult Mt, but did not affect levels of cAMP in Mt from larvae, pharate adults, or adults, though it elevated cAMP levels in fat body of these stages. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Quantification and characterization of regulin, a Mr-230,000 highly elongated protein of rabbit reticulocytes

Procedures are described by which regulin in rabbit reticulocytes was quantified and isolated in relatively large amounts. In these cells the protein occurs at a ratio of about 1.1-1.6 regulin monomers/spectrin tetramer, corresponding to 80,000-100,000 molecules of Mr-230,000 regulin/cell. Erythrocytes contain less than 12% of the amount of regulin in reticulocytes and the protein has not been detected in non-erythroid cells. Regulin was found primarily in the cytosolic fraction of lysed reticulocytes. It appears to be unusually sensitive to proteolysis by Ca2+-activated thiol proteases. Isolation of Mr-230,000 undegraded regulin was accomplished by the use of protease inhibitors including N-ethylmaleimide. A striking characteristic of regulin is its tendency to aggregate in neutral solution of low ionic strength. Physical studies of the isolated protein indicate that it has a highly elongated form in solution. The protein has no known enzymatic activity but was shown previously to interact with and increase the enzymatic activity of a protein phosphatase. The properties of regulin suggest that it may have a structural function but it appears to be physically and immunologically distinct from known proteins. It is suggested that regulin may contribute to a gel matrix within the cytoplasm of reticulocytes.     

Arachidonoyl transacylase in human platelets. Coenzyme A-independent transfer of arachidonate from phosphatidylcholine to lysoplasmenylethanolamine

Human platelets contain an enzyme that catalyzes CoA-independent release of arachidonic acid from phosphatidylcholine with concomitant incorporation into plasmenylethanolamine. Addition of lysoplasmenylethanolamine (10-80 microM) to a crude membrane preparation of prelabeled platelets (0.24 mg of protein/ml) induces transfer of [3H]arachidonate from endogenous phosphatidylcholine to lysoplasmenylethanolamine (0.8 nmol of arachidonic acid/min/mg of protein). The transacylation reaction occurs in the absence of Ca2+, has a broad pH optimum from 7 to 8, is not affected by excess unlabeled arachidonic acid, and is inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide (0.2 mM) and Triton X-100 (0.1 mg/ml). The enzyme shows a high specificity toward the acyl donor (phosphatidylcholine), transfers fatty acids in the order: arachidonic greater than eicosatrienoic greater than oleic, and preferentially acylates lysoplasmenylethanolamine but also other lysophosphatides (lysophosphatidylethanolamine greater than lysophosphatidylserine greater than lysophosphatidylinositol = 0). Platelet acyltransferase, on the other hand, acylates ethanolamine lysophosphatides with free arachidonic acid in the order: lysophosphatidyl-ethanolamine greater than lysoplasmenylethanolamine. These results suggest that a distinct acylation mechanism exists for introduction of arachidonic acid into plasmalogen phosphatides. In stimulated platelets, the transacylase may play an additional role in the controlled release of esterified arachidonic acid for synthesis of the biologically active oxygenated metabolites.     

Comparative analysis of the 5''-end regions of two repressible acid phosphatase genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The nucleotide sequence of 5'-noncoding and N-terminal coding regions of two coordinately regulated, repressible acid phosphatase genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were determined. These unlinked genes encode different, but structurally related polypeptides of molecular weights 60,000 and 56,000. The DNA sequences of their 5'-flanking regions show stretches of extensive homology upstream of, and surrounding, a "TATA" sequence and in a region in which heterogeneous 5' ends of the p60 mRNA were mapped. The predicted amino acid sequences encoded by the N-terminal regions of both genes were confirmed by determination of the amino acid sequence of the native exocellular acid phosphatase and the partial sequence of the presecretory polypeptide synthesized in a cell-free protein synthesizing system. The N-terminal region of the p60 polypeptide was shown to be characterized by a hydrophobic 17-amino acid signal polypeptide which is absent in the native exocellular protein and thought to be necessary for acid phosphatase secretion.     

Effect of Paper on the Performance Assay in the Control of Antibiotic Sensitivity Discs

Antibiotic discs were prepared, using several several batches of papers meeting Food and Drug Administration specifications. The analysis of 1,152 zones of inhibition produced showed no performance differences among these batches. Other discs were prepared using papers of different grades. These produced large differences in performance. It is obvious, therefore, that the use of a specified disc paper is necessary for standardizing the performances of the products of various manufacturers and that reproducible results can be attained with the grade of paper specified.     

Plasma concentrations of endothelin in patients with abnormal vascular reactivity. Effects of ergometric exercise and acute saline loading

We measured circulating concentrations of endothelin, a recently discovered vasoconstrictor peptide produced by vascular endothelial cells, in healthy subjects and in patients with abnormal vascular reactivity. Endothelin concentrations were determined by radio-immunoassay after extraction of plasma using Sep-Pak C-18 cartridges in healthy subjects (n = 20), in patients with diabetes mellitus type I (n = 10), in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension (n = 12) and in non-dialyzed patients with stable chronic renal failure (n = 12). Plasma concentrations were similar in healthy controls, in diabetics and in hypertensive patients averaging 5.0 +/- 0.6 pg/ml, 4.7 +/- 0.2 pg/ml and 6.5 +/- 1.0 pg/ml, respectively. In contrast, plasma concentrations of endothelin were markedly elevated in patients with chronic renal failure averaging 16.6 +/- 2.9 pg/ml (p less than 0.005). No correlations were observed between serum creatinine concentrations ranging from 124 to 850 mumol/l or blood pressure and plasma concentrations of endothelin. Bicycle ergometric exercise in six healthy subjects and an acute modest i.v. saline load of 1,000 ml of 0.45% NaCl administered within 60 min in six patients with mild essential hypertension did not affect plasma concentrations of endothelin. Thus, it is unlikely that vascular synthesis of endothelin is related to acute physiological changes in systemic hemodynamics or to the circulatory and renal responses to acute extracellular fluid volume (ECFV) expansion. A potential role of endothelin, however, in the control of regional blood flow cannot be excluded. Elevated plasma concentrations of endothelin observed in patients with chronic renal failure require further investigations.