Cobalt determination in serum and urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Cobalt determinations in biological fluids are of great interest in biological or toxicological research programs. Cobalturia is often chosen as an indicator for a biological monitoring program in occupational exposure to cobalt dusts. The method described here derives from the IUPAC reference method for nickel determination. It enables cobaltemia and cobalturia to be measured in small samples (1 mL). The mean usual values for cobalt in biological fluids are very low (2.7 nmol L⁻¹ for serum and 6.7 nmol L⁻¹ for urine), and therefore, thus require an analytical procedure with preconcentration and extraction. The sample is mineralized by wet acid digestion. After digestion, inorganic cobalt is extracted in form of ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate complex into isobutyl methyl ketone and measured in the organic layer by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The analytical parameters are described in detail. The extraction output is about 99%. The detection limits are 1.93 and 1.89 nmol L⁻¹ for serum and urine, respectively. Sensitivity (expressed as the concentration that gives a 0.044 absorbance) is 3.4 nmol L⁻¹ for serum and 3.3 nmol L⁻¹ for urine. Within-run precision ranged between 3.9 and 2.5% (coefficients of variation) for serum and 4.2 and 1.1% for urine, at 87 and 136 nmol L⁻¹ levels, respectively. Between-run precision ranged between 4.3 and 3.3% (coefficients of variation) for serum and 4.2 and 2.3% for urine, at 87 and 136 nmol L⁻¹ levels, respectively. At very low concentration, 5.7 nmol L⁻¹ for serum and 2.5 nmol L⁻¹ for urine, the between-run precision is, respectively, 19.5 and 28%. Linearity is effective between 0 and 272 nmol L⁻¹. Interferences and matrix effects are negligible for urine, serum, or plasma samples without hemoglobin. The method is easily applicable for routine determinations.     

Observations on Schizothrix mexicana Gomont (Cyanophyta) under culture conditions

Using agar gel électrophoresis, the number and relative mobility of seric protein fractions has been determined for twelve species of fishes belonging to the Elasmobranchii, Dipnoi and Actinopterygii.The study of relative mobilities has shown both similitudes and divergences between some of the proteinograms. Immunoelectrophoretic cross tests using the twelve sera and five antisera have shown that these similitudes did not result from protein homology and thus agar gel electrophoresis could not be used to determine phylogenetic relationships between the species considered.

Laboratoire d'Hydrobiologie et de Pisci culture, Université de Kinshasa (Zaïre)     

Reduction of embryotoxicity by protein in embryo culture media.

Experiments tested the hypothesis that one role of protein in embryo culture media is protection of embryos against potentially embryotoxic substances in the media. Mouse embryos were cultured in modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium and in modified Tyrode's medium, aliquots of which were supplemented with 4 mg/ml of the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), while other aliquots were left protein free. The media were prepared using water samples that differed in purity, as reflected by differences in conductivity, with tap water being least pure (and considered to have the greatest potential for being embryotoxic) and water that had been purified by reverse osmosis, Milli-Q filtration, and triple distillation being most pure. Embryos were placed in the media while in the two-cell stage of development and their development was assessed after 24, 48, and 72 hr of culture. Rate of embryo development in BSA-supplemented media was greater than that in protein-free media only when the media were prepared with the least purified water samples. Because these water samples would have contained substances not contained in media prepared with purer water, or would have contained the substances in higher concentration, the data supported the hypothesis that protein can protect embryos during culture by negating effects of embryotoxic substances in the media.     

DIAlignR Provides Precise Retention Time Alignment Across Distant Runs in DIA and Targeted Proteomics

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Highlights

• •Retention time shift can lead to inversion of elution order of peptides.
• •Global alignment methods are suboptimal for alignment of distant runs.
• •DIAlignR employs hybrid (global + local) RT alignment approach.
• •DIAlignR can align swapped peaks accurately across distant runs.

     

NTPDase and 5′-Nucleotidase Activities in Synaptosomes of Hippocampus and Serum of Rats Subjected to Homocysteine Administration

Patients with homocystinuria, an inborn error of metabolism, present neurological dysfunction and commonly experience frequent thromboembolic complications. The nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) and 5'-nucleotidase enzymes regulate the nucleotide/nucleoside ratio in the central nervous system and in the circulation and are thought to be involved in these events. Thus, the current study investigated the effect of homocysteine administration on NTPDase and 5'-nucleotidase activities, in the synaptosomal fraction of rat hippocampus, and on nucleotidase activities in rat serum. Twenty-nine-day-old Wistar rats were divided in two groups: group I (control), animals received 0.9% saline; group II (homocysteine-treated), animals received one single subcutaneous injection of homocysteine (0.6 micromol/g). Rats were killed 1 h after the injection. NTPDase and 5'-nucleotidase activities from brain and serum were significantly increased in the homocysteine-treated group. Results show that, in hippocampus, ATP and ADP hydrolysis increased by 20.5% and 20%, respectively, and AMP hydrolysis increased by 48%, when compared to controls. In serum, ATP and ADP hydrolysis increased 136% and 107%, respectively, and AMP hydrolysis increased 95%, in comparison to controls. The current data strongly indicate that in vivo homocysteine administration alters the activities of the enzymes involved in nucleotide hydrolysis, both in the central nervous system and in the serum of adult rats.     

阻断子宫动脉建立FGR大鼠模型的研究

目的通过暂时阻断妊娠期大鼠子宫血供的方法建立子宫缺血引起胎儿生长受限的动物模型。方法根据大鼠子宫动脉是卵巢动脉的一个分支的解剖特点,于孕鼠妊娠第15天时施行手术暂时阻断卵巢动脉并于第21天行剖宫产术,术后称量新生胎仔体重及胎盘、脑、心、肝、肺、肾等重要脏器重量,对比各组间新生胎仔的预后的不同,并对照研究阻断血供10、20、30及40 min对胎仔的不同影响。结果妊娠晚期阻断孕鼠卵巢动脉20min可成功构建胎儿生长受限模型,这种方法与阻断动脉血流30或40 min相比,手术时间短,技术要求不高,胎仔死亡率与对照组差异无显著性(P>0.05)。各实验组较对照组新生胎仔体重及胎盘、各重要脏器重量均明显降低(P<0.05)。结论通过阻断卵巢动脉从而阻断子宫动脉血流,成功建立缺血缺氧性FGR孕鼠模型。该模型重复性好,操作简便,并可成功设立同体对照,为进行FGR相关的产科理论研究提供了一个有利的技术平台。     

The in vitro glycation of human serum albumin in the presence of Zn(II)

Amino groups of human serum albumin (HSA) can react non-enzymatically with carbonyl groups of reducing sugars to form advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These AGEs contribute to many of the chronic complications of diabetes including atherosclerosis, cataract formation and renal failure. The current study focused on in vitro non-enzymatic reactivity of glyceraldehyde (GA) and methylglyoxal (MG) with HSA and evaluated the rate and extent of AGE formation in the presence of varied concentrations of Zn(II). At normal physiological conditions, GA and MG readily react with HSA. The presence of Zn(II) in HSA-GA or HSA-MG incubation mixtures reduced AGE formation. This finding was confirmed by UV and fluorescence spectrometry, HPLC techniques, and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). HPLC studies revealed decreased adduct formation of the glycated protein in the presence of Zn(II). The inhibition of AGE formation was intense at elevated Zn(II) concentrations. The results of this study suggest that Zn(II) may prove to be a potent agent in reducing AGE formation.     

Crystal structure of a bacterial albumin-binding domain at 1.4 A resolution

The albumin-binding domain, or GA module, of the peptostreptococcal albumin-binding protein expressed in pathogenic strains of Finegoldia magna is believed to be responsible for the virulence and increased growth rate of these strains. Here we present the 1.4A crystal structure of this domain, and compare it with the crystal structure of the GA-albumin complex. An analysis of protein-protein interactions in the two crystals, and the presence of multimeric GA species in solution, indicate the GA module is "sticky", and is capable of forming contacts with a range of protein surfaces. This might lead to interactions with different host proteins.