Trehalose Increases Freeze-Thaw Damage in Liposomes Containing Chloroplast Glycolipids

Chloroplast thylakoids contain three classes of glycolipids, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG). We have investigated the stability of large unilamellar vesicles made from egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) and different chloroplast glycolipids during freezing to -18 degreesC, as a function of the presence of three sugars: glucose, sucrose, or trehalose. Contrary to the situation in thylakoids, where cryoprotection increases from glucose < sucrose < trehalose, liposomes containing 50% DGDG showed the opposite behavior. In fact, carboxyfluorescein leakage increased over the control values (freezing in the absence of sugar) in the presence of trehalose. This effect was not seen in vesicles made from pure EPC, or a mixture of EPC and MGDG, or EPC and SQDG. Liposomes made from mixtures of all three glycolipids, however, showed even more leakage in the presence of trehalose than liposomes containing only DGDG and EPC. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.     

Lack of geographic variation in anonymous nuclear polymorphisms in the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica

Comparing geographic variation of noncoding nuclear DNA polymorphisms, which presumably are neutral to natural selection, with geographic variation of allozymes is potentially a good way to detect the effects of selection on allozyme polymorphisms. A previous study of four anonymous nuclear markers in the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica, found dramatic differences in allele frequency between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, 14 allozyme polymorphisms were fairly uniform in frequency between the two areas. This led to the conclusion that all of the allozyme polymorphisms were kept uniform in frequency by balancing selection. To test the robustness of this pattern, six additional anonymous nuclear DNA polymorphisms were surveyed in oysters from Panacea, Fla, and Charleston, S.C. on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, respectively. Unlike the previously studied DNA markers, the six DNA polymorphisms examined here show geographic variation that is not significantly greater than that of allozymes. The reason for the discrepancy between the two sets of DNA polymorphisms is unclear.      

Analysis of Ecteinascidin 743, a new potent marine-derived anticancer drug, in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography in combination with solid-phase extraction

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the quantification of the novel anticancer drug Ecteinascidin 743 in human plasma. The sample pretreatment of the plasma samples involved a solid-phase extraction (SPE) on cyano columns. Propyl-p-hydroxybenzoate was added after the sample pretreatment to correct for variability in injection volumes. The separation was performed on a Zorbax SB-C₁₈ column (75×4.6 mm I.D., particle size 3.5 μm) with acetonitrile–25 mM phosphate buffer, pH 5.0 (70:30, v/v) as the mobile phase. The flow-rate was 1.0 ml/min and the eluent was monitored at 210 nm. The accuracies and precisions of the assay fall within ±15% for all quality control samples and within ±20% for the lower limit of quantitation, which was 1.0 ng/ml using 500 μl of plasma. The overall recovery of the sample pretreatment procedure for Ecteinascidin 743 was 87.0±5.9%. The drug was found to be stable in human plasma at −30°C for at least 2 months. At room temperature Ecteinascidin 743 was stable in human plasma for 5 h at most.     

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric assay for clobetasol propionate in human serum from patients with atopic dermatitis

A bioanalytical assay for the topical corticosteroid clobetasol propionate was developed and validated. For the quantitative assay 0.5 ml human serum samples, supplemented with clobetasone butyrate as internal standard, were extracted with hexane–ether. Evaporated and reconstituted extracts were injected on a polar embedded octadecyl silica column with isocratic elution using formic acid in water–methanol as mobile phase. The eluate was led into the electrospray interface with positive ionization and the analyte was detected and quantified using the selective reaction monitoring mode of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The assay was validated in the range 0.04–10 ng/ml, the lowest level of this range being the lower limit of quantification. Precisions were 5–10% and accuracies were between 102 and 109%. The drug was stable under all relevant conditions. Finally, the assay was successfully applied on patients suffering from severe atopic dermatitis treated topically with clobetasol propionate.     

Development and validation of a quantitative assay for the measurement of two HIV-fusion inhibitors, enfuvirtide and tifuvirtide, and one metabolite of enfuvirtide (M-20) in human plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the quantification of two peptide HIV-1 fusion inhibitors (enfuvirtide, T-20 and tifuvirtide, T-1249) and one metabolite of enfuvirtide (M-20) in human plasma has been developed and validated, using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The analytes were extracted from plasma by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on vinyl-copolymer cartridges. Chromatographic separation of the peptides was performed on a Symmetry 300 C(18) column (50mmx2.1mm I.D., particle size 3.5 microm), using a water-acetonitrile gradient containing 0.25% (v/v) formic acid. The triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in the positive ion-mode and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used for peak detection. Deuterated (d60) enfuvirtide and (d50) tifuvirtide were used as internal standards. The assay was linear over a concentration range of 20-10,000 ng/ml for enfuvirtide and tifuvirtide and of 20-2000 ng/ml for M-20. Intra- and inter-assay precisions and deviations from the nominal concentrations were 相似文献   

Review on the analysis of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine and its phase I and phase II metabolites in biological matrices, foodstuff and beverages

The heterocyclic aromatic amine, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), has been shown to be carcinogenic in rodents, mice and rats. Following phase I N-hydroxylation and phase II esterification PhIP exerts its carcinogenic effect by binding to DNA purines. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of its bioactivated metabolites as well as it detoxification products is important in studying its biological effects and inter- and intra-individual exposures. A review is presented with an extensive coverage of publications specifically reporting on the analysis of PhIP and its phase I and II metabolites in biological matrices, foodstuff and beverages. Analytical techniques such as liquid and gas chromatography coupled with various detection techniques (mass spectrometry, ultraviolet or fluorescence detection) were mostly applied. We conclude that since the initial identification of PhIP in 1986 a large set of assays has been developed for the analysis of PhIP and its phase I and phase II metabolites in a wide range of matrices, these included food products and biological samples such as plasma, urine and faeces. In addition, it was shown that numerous metabolites were recovered and identified. Thus, we conclude that liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry is clearly the method of choice for sensitive qualitative as well as quantitative analysis with high selectivity and reaching lower quantification levels in the sub pg/mL range. The main aim of this review is that it can be used by other researchers as a resource for method development and optimization of analytical methods of PhIP and its carcinogenic or detoxification products.     

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric assay for pravastatin and two isomeric metabolites in mouse plasma and tissue homogenates

A bioanalytical assay for pravastatin and two isomeric metabolites, 3′α-isopravastatin and 6′-epipravastatin, was developed and validated. Mouse plasma and tissue homogenates from liver, kidney, brain and heart were pre-treated using protein precipitation with acetonitrile containing deuterated internal standards of the analytes. The extract was diluted with water and injected into the chromatographic system. This system consisted of a polar embedded octadecyl silica column using isocratic elution with formic acid in a water–acetonitrile mixture. The eluate was transferred to an electrospray interface using negative ionization and the analytes were detected and quantified with the selected reaction monitoring mode of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The assay was successfully validated in a 3.4–7100 ng/ml concentration range for pravastatin, 1.3–2200 ng/ml for 3′α-isopravastatin and 0.5–215 ng/ml for 6′-epipravastatin using only plasma for calibration. For plasma samples, subjected to full validation, within and between day precisions were 1–7% (9–18% at the LLQ level) and accuracies were between 91% and 103%. For tissue homogenates, subjected to partial validation, within and between day precisions were 2–12% (6–19% at the LLQ level) and accuracies were between 87% and 113% (81 and 113% at the LLQ level). Drug and metabolites were shown to be chemically stable under most relevant analytical conditions. Finally, the assay was successfully applied for a pilot study in mice. After intravenous administration of the drug, all isomeric compounds were found in plasma; however, in liver and kidney homogenate only the parent drug showed levels exceeding the LLQ.