Simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid in cultures of C3H/10T1/2 cells

Summary A reproducible method is described for the separation and quantification of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid by ion-pairing reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and detection by absorbance at 232 nm. Lowest detectable concentrations with a linear response of detection were 5 nmol for ascorbic acid and 50 nmol for dehydroascorbic acid. This method was applied to the analysis of C3H/10T1/2 cells and culture medium after influx or efflux experiments and single or multiple treatments with ascorbic acid. Subsequent measurement of the radioactivity in the eluted fractions increased the detectability of both ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid to 10 to 20 pmol. This research was supported by grant CA 09320 and CA 31574 from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, and grant BC441 from The American Cancer Society.     

Comparison of theN-glycoloylneuraminic andN-acetylneuraminic acid content of platelets and their precursors using high performance anion exchange chromatography

N-Acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) andN-glycoloylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) are distributed widely in nature. Using a Carbopac PA-1 anion exchange column, we have determined the ratios of Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc in hydrolysates of platelets and their precursors: a rat promegakaryoblastic (RPM) cell line and a human megakaryoblastic leukemia cell line (MEG-01). The ratio of Neu5Gc:Neu5Ac in cultured RPM cells is 16:1, whereas in platelet rich plasma and cultured MEG-01 cells it is 1:38 and 1:28, respectively. The nature of these sialic acids from RPM cells was verified using thin layer chromatography and liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry. The relevance of increased Neu5Gc levels in early stages of development is discussed.Abbreviations Neu5Ac N-acetylneuraminic acid - Neu5Gc N-glycoloylneuraminic acid - RPM rat promegakaryoblast - MEG-01 human megakaryoblastic leukaemia cell line - PAD pulsed amperometric detection - WGA wheat germ agglutinin - FCS foetal calf serum - PPEADF phosphatidylethanolamine dipalmitoyl - LSIMS liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry - HPAEC high performance anion exchange chromatography - TBA thiobarbituric acid     

Opioid receptor antagonist affinity ligands: 6β-bromoacetamido-6-desoxynaltrexone and 6β-thioglycolamido-6-desoxynaltrexone

The present study, utilizing thioglycolamido as the reactive group, describes the synthesis and pharmacology of a new opioid antagonist affinity ligand, 6-thioglycolamido-6-desoxynaltrexone (TAN) and compares TAN with a related known compound, 6-bromoacetamido-6-desoxynaltrexone (BAN). Both compounds were tested for their reversible and irreversible inhibition of [³H]naloxone binding to calf brain membranes. Reversible binding of BAN and TAN had K_i values of 1×10^–9 and 1×10^–10 M, respectively as determined by log probit plots. Irreversible binding was determined after extensive washing to remove all non-covalently bound ligand. At a concentration of 5×10^–8 and 1×10^–8 M for BAN and TAN irreversible binding was inhibited 50% of the maximum value. A study of the time course of irreversible inhibition of [³H]naloxone binding revealed that maximal inhibition occurred within 5 min with a concentration of 1×10^–7 M of either agent. TAN but not BAN when administered systematically to mice produced an antinociceptive effect as measured by the writhing test. When administered intracerebraventricularly BAN did not block morphine-induced analgesia for more than 2 hr; whereas, with a single ED₅₀ dose of 20 nmoles of TAN i.c.v. morphine-induced analgesia was almost completely blocked for a period of over 24 hr, as determined by the tail flick test. Although the SH group of TAN were required for the covalent interaction with opioid receptors, the site of TAN's interaction appears to involve other than protein SH groups.     

Separation of insect hemolymph proteins by cascade-mode multi-affinity chromatography.

The hemolymph of the adult female Manduca sexta was fractionated by cascade-mode multi-affinity chromatography (CASMAC) on a main-line tandem column chain containing Zn(2+)-TED, T-gel, Ni(2+)-DPA, and phenylsepharose and a side-line column containing Zn(2+)-DPA. The technique separated some of the previously described major hemolymph proteins, and yielded a number of fractions with simple composition. Some of these fractions contained only less abundant proteins of Manduca hemolymph. Thus, it appears that CASMAC would be a very useful fractionation technique for purification and characterization of the minor proteins of insect hemolymph.     

Direct enantiomeric separation of beta-blockers on ChyRoSine-A by supercritical fluid chromatography: supercritical carbon dioxide as transient in situ derivatizing agent.

The direct enantiomeric separation of a series of beta-blockers has been carried out on two chiral stationary phases (CSPs) derived from 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl tyrosine: the commercially available ChyRoSine-A and a recent improved version of this CSP. Using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), facile separations are achieved (1.1 less than Rs less than 7) within short analysis times. The parameters affecting the enantioselectivity (temperature, pressure, mobile phase nature, solute structure) have been investigated. The optimal mobile phase consists in a mixture of carbon dioxide-methanol-propylamine at 25 degrees C. The solute structure has a great influence on the enantioselectivity. For instance, both amine and hydroxyl protons are necessary for chiral discrimination to occur. Furthermore, the steroselectivity value is directly connected to the amine substituent steric bulkiness. Surprisingly, these solutes are poorly resolved using normal phase liquid chromatography (NPLC). Accordingly, the specific influence of carbon dioxide on the enantiomeric separation of 1,2-amino-alcohols have been investigated using various techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or molecular modelisation. It has been shown that carbon dioxide acts as a complexing agent toward the amino-alcohol by setting up of a bridge with the hydroxyl and the amine protons of the solute. In that way, the resulting complex possesses lower acido-basic properties and a higher conformational rigidity, responsible for chiral discrimination.     

The disposition of venlafaxine enantiomers in dogs, rats, and humans receiving venlafaxine.

A stereospecific high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for the quantitation of the enantiomers of venlafaxine, an antidepressant, in dog, rat, and human plasma. The procedure involves derivatization of venlafaxine with the chiral reagent, (+)-S-naproxen chloride, and a postderivatization procedure. The method was linear in the range of 50 to 5,000 ng of each enantiomer per ml of plasma. No interference by endogenous substances or known metabolites of venlafaxine occurred. Studies to characterize the disposition of the enantiomers of venlafaxine were conducted in dog, rat, and human, following oral administration of venlafaxine. The Cmax, area under the curve (AUC) and (S)/(R) concentration ratios of the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers were compared. In rats, the mean plasma ratio of (S)-venlafaxine to that of (R)-venlafaxine over 0.5 to 6.0 h varied from 2.97 to 8.50 with a mean value of 5.51 +/- 2.45. The Cmax, AUC0-infinity, and t 1/2 values of the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers in dogs were not significantly different from one another (P greater than 0.1). The mean ratios [(S)/(R)] of enantiomers of venlafaxine in human over a 2 to 6 h interval ranged from 1.33 to 1.35 with an overall ratio of 1.34 +/- 0.26 (n = 12). These ratios of the enantiomers [(S)/(R)] were not statistically different from unity (P greater than 0.1) indicating that the disposition of venlafaxine enantiomers in humans is not stereoselective and is more similar to that in dogs than that in rats.     

Resolution and stability of oxazepam enantiomers

A solvent mixture containing dioxane, acetonitrile, and hexane was found to be suitable as a mobile phase to resolve oxazepam enantiomers by chiral stationary phase high performance liquid chromatography using covalent Pirkle columns. The resolved oxazepam enantiomers in this solvent mixture had a racemization half-life greater than 3 days at 23°C. When desiccated at 0°C as dried residue, OX enantiomers were stable for at least 50 days with less than 2% racemization. The conditions which stabilized OX enantiomers significantly facilitated the determination of racemization half-lives of OX enantiomers in a variety of aqueous and nonaqueous solvents and at different temperatures. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Experimental approaches to guarantee minimal risk of potential virus in purified monoclonal antibodies

Regarding biological products, increasing awareness of potential side effects have placed great importance not only at protein purity regarding other proteins but on the removal of biologicals such as DNA and especially virus the importance of which may not be known. Monoclonal antibodies (Mab) have come to be an important class of molecules obtained from hybridoma cells, i.e., nonrecombinant cells in culture. It has been noted during the last years, that with rare exceptions hybridoma cell lines contain retrovirus like particles. The infectious nature of the EM-visible particles has been tested for, however, in most cases not been substantiated. In order to bring these valuable biological reagents, Mab's, to good use in man for imaging or therapy, the remaining concern about a potential retroviral infection has to be reduced to an acceptable minimum. We describe experimental approaches for the validation of chromatographic and ultrafiltration steps used in the production of monoclonal antibodies to remove and inactivate murine retrovirus. Present day biotechnological manufacturing processes have been devised incorporating a number of strategic preventive measures that have found wide spread acceptance. They permit to answer the question: how can a potentially harmful infection by an unknown virus be excluded. Knowledge of the efficacy of purification steps to clear infectious model virus is fundamental to devise biotechnological manufacturing processes yielding a purified antibody for use in man.     

High-affinity folate binding in human liver membranes

High-affinity binding of³H-folate in Triton X-100 solubilized membranes of human liver displayed characteristics, e.g. apparent positive cooperativity, which are typical of specific folate binding. Ultrogel^® AcA 44 chromatography of solubilized membranes saturated with³H-folate revealed a major peak of 100 kDa and a minor peak of 25 kDa. The 100 kDa peak could represent a hydrophobic membrane associated molecular form of the protein. This notion was supported by the fact that the two peaks had identical molecular weights as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with immunoblotting.