Micelle‐enhanced spectrofluorimetric method for determination of sitagliptin and identification of potential alkaline degradation products using LC‐MS

A novel, quick, simple and highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed and validated for the determination of sitagliptin (SG) in its pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed method is based on investigation of the fluorescence spectral behavior of sitagliptin in an SDS micellar system. In an aqueous solution of phosphate buffer pH 4.0, the fluorescence intensity of SG in the presence of SDS was greatly enhanced, by 200%, i.e. twofold enhancement. The fluorescence intensity of SG was measured at 300 nm after excitation at 270 nm. The method showed good linearity in the range 0.03–10.0 µg/mL with a good correlation coefficient (r = 0.9998). The limits of detection and quantitation values were 5.31 and 16.1 ng/mL, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of SG in its single and co‐formulated commercial tablets; the results were in good agreement with those obtained using a reference method. Application of the proposed method was extended to stability studies of SG after exposure to different forced degradation conditions according to the ICH guidelines, such as acidic, alkaline, thermal, photo‐ and oxidative stress. The chemical structure of certain potential degradation products (DPs) were investigated using LC‐MS. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of zeranol and its metabolites in bovine muscle and liver by a chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay: compared to an ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy method

A chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) was compared to an ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC‐MS/MS) procedure for the analysis of zeranol and its metabolites in bovine tissue samples. Apparent recoveries from fortified samples by both methods were comparable at 0.5–4.0 µg/kg and a significant correlation was obtained. For CLEIA analysis, hapten mimicking the analyte was first synthesized and conjugated with the carrier protein bovine serum albumin as the immunogen to produce monoclonal antibody. The obtained antibody showed extensive cross‐reactivity toward zeranol metabolites (zearalanone). The limit of detection of CLEIA and UPLC‐MS/MS was 0.05 µg/kg and 0.5 µg/kg, respectively. Recoveries of both methods for fortified samples were higher than 75.0% with the coefficient of variation less than 15%. These results indicated that the combination of screening with CLEIA and confirmation with UPLC‐MS/MS for zeranol and its metabolites would be a reliable method for a large number of bovine samples. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

湿热环境习服和抗晕动病训练对晕动病的预防作用

目的：拟通过湿热环境习服性训练和抗晕动病训练两阶段,探究训练对降低晕动病发病率及等级的作用。方法：选取60名健康男性志愿者,配对分成实验组和对照组,实验组①一阶段采取模拟湿热环境静坐、快走、负重跑等训练,通过检测受试者主观感受、肛温、心率、血压、出汗率、汗盐浓度等指标确定受试者达到湿热环境习服;然后两组均在40℃、80％下进行Coriolis加速度转椅试验诱发晕动病,以Graybiel法评定晕动病得分及等级,以评价湿热环境习服训练是否可以降低晕动病发病率及等级;②三个月后实验组脱习服后进行二阶段常温下（20℃、50％）抗晕动病训练,共接受旋转转椅法训练10次,每次通过Graybiel法记录晕动病得分及等级;对照组不接受两阶段的训练。然后两组再次均进行Coriolis加速度转椅试验诱发晕动病,以Graybiel法评定晕动病得分及等级,用以评价抗晕动病训练是否可以降低湿热环境下晕动病发病率及等级。结果：①一阶段湿热环境习服训练后,实验组和对照组Graybiel评分及等级差异无显著性（P〉0．05）;②二阶段抗晕动病训练后,实验组Graybiel评分及等级较对照组有明显降低（P〈0．01）。结论：单纯湿热环境习服训练并不能帮助降低湿热环境下晕动病的发病率和等级;但抗晕动病训练可以有效降低发病率和等级。     

雷诺嗪缓释片在比格犬体内的药代动力学

目的:研究雷诺嗪缓释片在比格犬体内的药物代谢动力学,并与参照制剂比较,为其是否具有缓释特征提供依据。方法:首先建立血浆中雷诺嗪浓度的液相色谱-串联质谱联用检测方法,并考察方法的专属性、准确度、日内日间精密度、回收率、线性范围等。采用随机对照试验设计,将12只比格犬随机分为A、B组,每组6只,分别服用1片雷诺嗪缓释片(500 mg/片)和1片参比制剂雷诺嗪片(500 mg/片),均于给药前和给药后不同时间点采集血样,用已建立的液质联用方法检测血样中雷诺嗪的血药浓度,计算2组比格犬的药代动力学参数。结果:受试组和参照组半衰期t1/2分别为13.3±8.3和2.36±0.92 h,峰浓度Cmax分别为923.9±340.5和3205±1314 ng/mL,达峰时间Tmax分别为1.6±0.38和0.88±0.14 h,曲线下面积AUC0~∞分别为6252.1±2860.3和9916±4305(ng·h)/mL,清除率Cl分别为11.3±9.8和6.39±3.95 L/(kg·h)。受试制剂雷诺嗪缓释片和参比制剂雷诺嗪片的药代特征和血药浓度-时间变化趋势明显不同,受试组血药浓度缓慢上升和下降,峰值较低;而参照组血药浓度峰值显著高于受试组,有明显的突释效应。结论:液质联用检测方法准确可靠,适合体内药代动力学研究;与参比制剂雷诺嗪片相比,受试制剂雷诺嗪缓释片符合缓释片的基本药代动力学特点。     

The 4‐pyridylmethyl ester as a protecting group for glutamic and aspartic acids: ‘flipping’ peptide charge states for characterization by positive ion mode ESI‐MS

Use of the 4‐pyridylmethyl ester group for side‐chain protection of glutamic acid residues in solid‐phase peptide synthesis enables switching of the charge state of a peptide from negative to positive, thus making detection by positive ion mode ESI‐MS possible. The pyridylmethyl ester moiety is readily removed from peptides in high yield by hydrogenation. Combining the 4‐pyridylmethyl ester protecting group with benzyl ester protection reduces the number of the former needed to produce a net positive charge and allows for purification by RP HPLC. This protecting group is useful in the synthesis of highly acidic peptide sequences, which are often beset by problems with purification by standard RP HPLC and characterization by ESI‐MS. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural Basis for Antibody Recognition in the Receptor-binding Domains of Toxins A and B from Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile infection is a serious and highly prevalent nosocomial disease in which the two large, Rho-glucosylating toxins TcdA and TcdB are the main virulence factors. We report for the first time crystal structures revealing how neutralizing and non-neutralizing single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) recognize the receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of TcdA and TcdB. Surprisingly, the complexes formed by two neutralizing antibodies recognizing TcdA do not show direct interference with the previously identified carbohydrate-binding sites, suggesting that neutralization of toxin activity may be mediated by mechanisms distinct from steric blockage of receptor binding. A camelid sdAb complex also reveals the molecular structure of the TcdB RBD for the first time, facilitating the crystallization of a strongly negatively charged protein fragment that has resisted previous attempts at crystallization and structure determination. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry measurements confirm the stoichiometries of sdAbs observed in the crystal structures. These studies indicate how key epitopes in the RBDs from TcdA and TcdB are recognized by sdAbs, providing molecular insights into toxin structure and function and providing for the first time a basis for the design of highly specific toxin-specific therapeutic and diagnostic agents.     

Src Homology 2 Domain Containing Protein 5 (SH2D5) Binds the Breakpoint Cluster Region Protein,BCR, and Regulates Levels of Rac1-GTP

SH2D5 is a mammalian-specific, uncharacterized adaptor-like protein that contains an N-terminal phosphotyrosine-binding domain and a C-terminal Src homology 2 (SH2) domain. We show that SH2D5 is highly enriched in adult mouse brain, particularly in Purkinjie cells in the cerebellum and the cornu ammonis of the hippocampus. Despite harboring two potential phosphotyrosine (Tyr(P)) recognition domains, SH2D5 binds minimally to Tyr(P) ligands, consistent with the absence of a conserved Tyr(P)-binding arginine residue in the SH2 domain. Immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry (IP-MS) from cultured cells revealed a prominent association of SH2D5 with breakpoint cluster region protein, a RacGAP that is also highly expressed in brain. This interaction occurred between the phosphotyrosine-binding domain of SH2D5 and an NxxF motif located within the N-terminal region of the breakpoint cluster region. siRNA-mediated depletion of SH2D5 in a neuroblastoma cell line, B35, induced a cell rounding phenotype correlated with low levels of activated Rac1-GTP, suggesting that SH2D5 affects Rac1-GTP levels. Taken together, our data provide the first characterization of the SH2D5 signaling protein.     

Kinetics,Structure, and Mechanism of 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine Bypass by Human DNA Polymerase η

DNA damage incurred by a multitude of endogenous and exogenous factors constitutes an inevitable challenge for the replication machinery. Cells rely on various mechanisms to either remove lesions or bypass them in a more or less error-prone fashion. The latter pathway involves the Y-family polymerases that catalyze trans-lesion synthesis across sites of damaged DNA. 7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG) is a major lesion that is a consequence of oxidative stress and is associated with cancer, aging, hepatitis, and infertility. We have used steady-state and transient-state kinetics in conjunction with mass spectrometry to analyze in vitro bypass of 8-oxoG by human DNA polymerase η (hpol η). Unlike the high fidelity polymerases that show preferential insertion of A opposite 8-oxoG, hpol η is capable of bypassing 8-oxoG in a mostly error-free fashion, thus preventing GC→AT transversion mutations. Crystal structures of ternary hpol η-DNA complexes and incoming dCTP, dATP, or dGTP opposite 8-oxoG reveal that an arginine from the finger domain assumes a key role in avoiding formation of the nascent 8-oxoG:A pair. That hpol η discriminates against dATP exclusively at the insertion stage is confirmed by structures of ternary complexes that allow visualization of the extension step. These structures with G:dCTP following either 8-oxoG:C or 8-oxoG:A pairs exhibit virtually identical active site conformations. Our combined data provide a detailed understanding of hpol η bypass of the most common oxidative DNA lesion.     

Structural Basis of G Protein-coupled Receptor-Gi Protein Interaction: FORMATION OF THE CANNABINOID CB2 RECEPTOR-Gi PROTEIN COMPLEX*

In this study, we applied a comprehensive G protein-coupled receptor-Gα_i protein chemical cross-linking strategy to map the cannabinoid receptor subtype 2 (CB₂)- Gα_i interface and then used molecular dynamics simulations to explore the dynamics of complex formation. Three cross-link sites were identified using LC-MS/MS and electrospray ionization-MS/MS as follows: 1) a sulfhydryl cross-link between C3.53(134) in TMH3 and the Gα_i C-terminal i-3 residue Cys-351; 2) a lysine cross-link between K6.35(245) in TMH6 and the Gα_i C-terminal i-5 residue, Lys-349; and 3) a lysine cross-link between K5.64(215) in TMH5 and the Gα_i α₄β₆ loop residue, Lys-317. To investigate the dynamics and nature of the conformational changes involved in CB₂·G_i complex formation, we carried out microsecond-time scale molecular dynamics simulations of the CB₂ R*·Gα_i1β₁γ₂ complex embedded in a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine bilayer, using cross-linking information as validation. Our results show that although molecular dynamics simulations started with the G protein orientation in the β2-AR*·Gα_sβ₁γ₂ complex crystal structure, the Gα_i1β₁γ₂ protein reoriented itself within 300 ns. Two major changes occurred as follows. 1) The Gα_i1 α5 helix tilt changed due to the outward movement of TMH5 in CB₂ R*. 2) A 25° clockwise rotation of Gα_i1β₁γ₂ underneath CB₂ R* occurred, with rotation ceasing when Pro-139 (IC-2 loop) anchors in a hydrophobic pocket on Gα_i1 (Val-34, Leu-194, Phe-196, Phe-336, Thr-340, Ile-343, and Ile-344). In this complex, all three experimentally identified cross-links can occur. These findings should be relevant for other class A G protein-coupled receptors that couple to G_i proteins.