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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

High-sensitivity capillary electrophoresis determination of inorganic anions in serum and urine using on-line preconcentration by transient isotachophoresis.

Concentrations of inorganic anions, both as individual species and biotransformation products, in physiological fluids are of strong concern in clinical studies. To date, analytical methodologies have either required different analytical procedures to determine these analytes in plasma and urine, or extensive sample preparation, or unconventional and often expensive detection schemes, or both. A simple and sensitive capillary electrophoresis (CE) method with direct UV detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of iodide, bromide and nitrate in human plasma and urine, with a special focus on reliable quantification of the trace serum iodide. With the latter objective, the method incorporates a transient isotachophoresis (tITP) procedure enabling an efficient on-line preconcentration of iodide (limit of detection, 1.4 microg l(-1)) as well as other moderately mobile analytes that fall into the tITP range. The analyses of both types of biofluids were performed using an acidic electrolyte system composed of 0.25 mol l(-1) sodium chloride and 7.5 mmol l(-1) cetyltrimethylammonium chloride at pH 2.2 and 0.5 mol l(-1) 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonate (pH 6.0) as terminating electrolyte. Relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) below 3.0% and 9.2% were obtained for within-day and between-day precision, respectively. Resolution and quantification of oxalic acid was also feasible under optimized tITP-CE conditions. Sample preparation required only ultrafiltration (serum) and dilution (urine). A number of plasma and urine samples were evaluated with this assay and the iodide, bromide and nitrate concentrations were in the expected clinical concentration ranges.

Anions↗

Metabolic fingerprinting of rat urine by LC/MS Part 2. Data pretreatment methods for handling of complex data.

Metabolic fingerprinting of biofluids like urine is a useful technique for detecting differences between individuals. With this approach, it might be possible to classify samples according to their biological relevance. In Part 1 of this work a method for the comprehensive screening of metabolites was described, using two different liquid chromatography (LC) column set-ups and detection by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Data pretreatment of the resulting data described in is needed to reduce the complexity of the data and to obtain useful metabolic fingerprints. Three different approaches, i.e., reduced dimensionality (RD), MarkerLynx, and MS Resolver, were compared for the extraction of information. The pretreated data were then subjected to multivariate data analysis by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for classification. By combining two different chromatographic procedures and data analysis, the detection of metabolites was enhanced as well as the finding of metabolic fingerprints that govern classification. Additional potential biomarkers or xenobiotic metabolites were detected in the fraction containing highly polar compounds that are normally discarded when using reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Animals↗

Performances of a multidimensional on-line SPE-LC-ECD method for the determination of three major catecholamines in native human urine: validation, risk and uncertainty assessments.

A novel, multidimensional on-line SPE-LC method with electrochemical detection is described for the fully automated and direct analysis of the catecholamines norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine in urine. The integrated extractive clean-up of the raw biofluid is based on a SPE-column packed with restricted access material (RAM) which is modified with the affinity ligand nitrophenylboronic acid. The method was fully validated according to a recent approach based on an accuracy profile. The acceptance limits were set at +/-15% of the nominal concentration values. The method was found accurate over a concentration range from 15 to 500 microg/l for norepinephrine, from 5 to 500 microg/l for epinephrine and from 50 to 500 microg/l for dopamine. The relative risk for the use of the validated method in routine analysis was also assessed based on this validation strategy. It was found that at most 3.5% of future sample measurements will fall outside the acceptance limits. This demonstrates the high reliability of the analytical method described. Moreover, the measurements uncertainties were deduced from the validation experiments without any additional effort.

Catecholamines↗

Improved proteomic discovery by sample pre-fractionation using dual-column ion-exchange high performance liquid chromatography.

Clinically relevant biomarkers are urgently needed for improving patient diagnosis, risk stratification, prognosis and therapeutic treatments. There is a particularly compelling motivation for identifying protein-based indicators of early-stage disease for more effective interventions. Despite recent progress, the proteomic discovery process remains a daunting challenge due to the sheer heterogeneity and skewed protein abundances in biofluids. Even the most advanced mass spectrometry systems exhibit limiting overall dynamic ranges and sensitivities relative to the needs of modern biomedical applications. To this end, we report the development of a robust, rapid, and reproducible high performance ion-exchange liquid chromatography pre-fractionation method that allows for improved proteomic detection coverage of complex biological specimens using basic tandem mass spectrometry screening procedures. This form of sample simplification prior to global proteomic profiling, which we refer to collectively as 'fractionomics', increases the number and diversity of proteins that can be confidently identified in tissue and cell lysates as compared to the straight analysis of unfractionated crude extracts.

Animals↗

Automatic alignment of individual peaks in large high-resolution spectral data sets.

Pattern recognition techniques are effective tools for reducing the information contained in large spectral data sets to a much smaller number of significant features which can then be used to make interpretations about the chemical or biochemical system under study. Often the effectiveness of such approaches is impeded by experimental and instrument induced variations in the position, phase, and line width of the spectral peaks. Although characterizing the cause and magnitude of these fluctuations could be important in its own right (pH-induced NMR chemical shift changes, for example) in general they obscure the process of pattern discovery. One major area of application is the use of large databases of (1)H NMR spectra of biofluids such as urine for investigating perturbations in metabolic profiles caused by drugs or disease, a process now termed metabonomics. Frequency shifts of individual peaks are the dominant source of such unwanted variations in this type of data. In this paper, an automatic procedure for aligning the individual peaks in the data set is described and evaluated. The proposed method will be vital for the efficient and automatic analysis of large metabonomic data sets and should also be applicable to other types of data.

Animals↗

Evaluation of pilocarpine effects on sweat proteome.

BACKGROUND: Sweat is increasingly recognized as a valuable, non-invasive biofluid for biomarker discovery, yet its composition depends on the stimulation method. This study aimed to determine how pharmacological induction with pilocarpine compares to physiologically induced sweat through exercise in shaping the sweat proteome. RESULTS: We analyzed thermoregulatory sweat from exercise, pilocarpine-induced sweat, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat. Total protein concentrations were similar across conditions, but pilocarpine markedly increased proteomic diversity, with combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat showing the highest number of identifications. The core sweat proteome remained stable, while pilocarpine selectively enriched low-abundance proteins involved in vesicular trafficking, cytoskeletal remodelling, and metabolism. Proteins linked to the canonical M3-Gq-PLC-Ca2+ pathway, including AQP5, CALML5, and CLIC1, were consistently enriched, confirming cholinergic activation. Pilocarpine-induced sweat also contained plasma-derived and immune-related proteins, reflecting enhanced secretion and reduced ductal reabsorption. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise yields a physiologically relevant but less complex proteome, pilocarpine-induced sweat produces a pharmacologically enriched yet biased profile, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat maximizes protein detection at the expense of interpretability. These findings highlight the critical impact of stimulation paradigm on sweat proteomics and provide a reference framework for biomarker research. SIGNIFICANCE: This study employed LC-MS/MS to systematically characterize eccrine sweat and delineate how stimulation paradigms-exercise, pilocarpine, and their combination-shape its proteomic landscape. By demonstrating that pharmacological induction profoundly alters protein diversity and composition compared to physiologically induced sweat, these findings establish a critical benchmark for sweat-based biomarker research and highlight the need for paradigm-aware sampling strategies in clinical and translational contexts. Nonetheless, several methodological constraints warrant consideration: the limited sample size (five individuals per group), the exclusive inclusion of women under combined oral contraceptive treatment (21 active pills followed by 7 pill-free days), which restricts extrapolation to naturally cycling women, and the focus on healthy young adults (18-25 years), limiting generalizability to older or clinically heterogeneous populations. Despite these limitations, this work provides a foundational framework for optimizing sweat collection protocols and advancing precision approaches in non-invasive diagnostics.

Pilocarpine↗

Stability and Hopf bifurcation in an approachable haematopoietic stem cells model.

We consider the haematopoietic stem cells model (HSC) with one delay introduced by Mackey [M.C. Mackey, Unified hypothesis for the origin of aplastic anemia and periodic hematopoiesis, blood 51 (1978) 5; M.C. Mackey, Mathematical models of haematopoietic cell replication and control, in: The Art of Mathematical Modelling: Case Studies in Ecology, Physiology and Biofluids, H.G. Othmer, F.R. Adler, M.A. Lewis, J.C. Dallon (Eds), Prentice-Hall, New York, 1997, p. 149] and Andersen and Mackey [L.K. Andersen, M.C. Mackey, Resonance in periodic chemotherapy: a case study of acute myelogenous leukemia, J. theor. Biol. 209 (2001) 113]. There are two possible stationary states in the model. One of them is trivial and the second E( *)(tau) depending on the delay is non-trivial . This paper investigates the stability of the non-trivial state and occurrence of the Hopf bifurcation depending on time delay. We prove the existence and uniqueness of a critical values tau(0) and tau of the delay such that E( *)(tau) is asymptotically stable for tau<tau(0) and unstable for tau(0)<tau<tau . We show that E( *)(tau(0)) is a Hopf bifurcation critical point for an approachable model.

Algorithms↗

Endocrine disrupters: a human risk?

Endocrine disrupters (EDs) alter normal hormonal regulation and may be naturally occurring or environmental contaminants. Classically, EDs act genomically, with agonistic or antagonistic effects on steroid receptors and may alter reproductive function and/or cause feminisation by binding to oestrogen or androgen receptors; their binding to the thyroid receptor may dysregulate the neuroendocrine system. Recently, it has been shown that EDs can also act by non-genomic mechanisms, altering steroid synthesis (inhibition of cytochrome P450 isoforms) or steroid metabolism. The alkylphenol and phthalate plasticisers inhibit the inactivation of oestrogens by sulphation (via SULT 1A1 and 1E1 isoforms) and so cause a rise in levels of the free active endogenous oestrogens. A range of ED effects have been shown in mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibia and aquatic invertebrates but it is not yet clear whether these processes also occur in human beings. It is evident that EDs, as well as altering reproduction, can cause changes in neurosteroid levels and so have the potential to affect immune function, behaviour and memory. This may be of long-term concern since traces of EDs such as plasticisers, brominated fire retardants, sunscreen agents and cosmetic ingredients are widely distributed in the environment and in human biofluids.

Animals↗

Metabonomics and the endocrine system.

Proton-NMR-based metabonomics offers a rare opportunity as a definitive screening technique for biofluids and tissue biopsies. The procedure is extraordinary in that it allows the 'complete biochemical picture' to be examined at one time and is able to detect subtle but repeatedly consistent disparities that may be occurring in different, and perhaps unrelated, biochemical pathways. Such metabolic responses to an initial perturbation in homeostasis may be followed over a sequential time-course to their eventual dissipation or consequent sequelae. The application of this technique is beginning slowly to filter into the area of endocrine research and has been used to examine long-term and diffuse physiological alterations that may occur following such events as anabolic steroid treatment of cattle and the exposure of endometrial cells to tamoxifen. Although only modest inroads have been made so far, this technique promises immense potential for future researches within the endocrine field.

Animals↗

Study of a novel indolin-2-ketone compound Z24 induced hepatotoxicity by NMR-spectroscopy-based metabonomics of rat urine, blood plasma, and liver extracts.

Antiangiogenic compound has been believed to be an ideal drug in the current cancer biological therapy, but the angiogenesis inhibitors suffer setback for unknown toxicity now. A novel synthetic indolin-s-ketone small molecular compound, 3Z-3-[((1)H-pyrrol-2-yl)-methylidene]-1-(1-piperidinylmethyl)-1,3-2H-indol-2-one (Z24) can inhibit angiogenesis in new blood vessels. The hepatotoxicity effects of Z24 oral administration (dosed at 60, 130 and 200 mg/kg) have been investigated in female Wistar rats by using metabonomic analysis of (1)H NMR spectra of urine, plasma and liver extracts, as well as by clinical chemistry analysis, liver histopathology and electron micrographs examination. The (1)H NMR spectra of the biofluids were analyzed visually and via pattern recognition by using principal component analysis. The metabonomic trajectory analysis on the time-related hepatotoxicity of Z24 was carried out based on the (1)H NMR spectra of urine samples, which were collected daily predose and postdose over an 8-day period. Urinary excretion of citrate, lactate, 2-oxo-glutarate and succinate increased following Z24 dosing. Increased plasma levels of lactate, TMAO and lipid were observed, with concomitant decrease in the level of glucose and phosphatidylcholine. Metabolic profiling on aqueous soluble extracts of liver tissues with the high dose level of Z24 showed an increase in lactate and glutamine, together with a decrease in glucose, glycogen and choline. On the other hand, studies on lipid soluble extracts of liver tissues with the high dose level of Z24 showed increased level in lipid triglycerides and decreased level in unsaturated fatty acids and phosphatidylcholine. Moreover, the most notable effect of Z24 on the metabolism was the reduction in the urinary levels of creatinine and TMAO and the increase in acetate, citrate, succinate and 2-oxo-glutamate with time dependence. The results indicate that in rats Z24 inhibits mitochondrial function through altering the energy and lipid metabolism, which results in the accumulation of free fatty acids and lactate because of the lack of aerobic respiration. These data show that the metabonomic approach represents a promising new technology for the toxicological mechanism study.

Animals↗

Investigation of interactions of a resorcin[4]arene receptor with bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) for the electrochemical biosensing of mixtures of dopamine and ephedrine.

The present article investigates the interactions of a resorcin[4]arene receptor with planar bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) that can be used for the electrochemical detection of dopamine and ephedrine. BLMs were composed of egg phosphatidylcholine and 35% (w/w) dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid in which the receptor was incorporated. These BLMs modified with the resorcin[4]arene receptor can be used as one-shot sensors for the direct electrochemical sensing of these energizing-stimulating substances. The interactions of these compounds with the lipid membranes were found to be electrochemically transduced in the form of a transient current signal with a duration of seconds, which reproducibly appeared within 8 and 20 s after exposure of the membranes to dopamine and ephedrine, respectively. The response time for BLMs without the receptor for dopamine was about 3 min, whereas no signals were obtained for ephedrine in the absence of the receptor. The mechanism of signal generation was investigated by differential scanning calorimetric studies. These studies revealed that the adsorption of the receptor is through the hydrophobic tails of the receptor, whereas hydrophilic groups of the receptor were directed towards the electrolyte solution enhancing the ion transport through the lipid membranes. The magnitude of the transient current signal was related to the concentration of the stimulating agent in bulk solution in the micromolar range. No interferences from ascorbic acid were noticed because of the use of the negatively charged lipids in membranes. The present technique can be used as one-shot sensor for the detection of these pharmaceutical substances and future research is targeted to the determination of these chemicals in human biofluids such as urine of athletes.

Biosensing Techniques↗

The depletion of protein signals in metabonomics analysis with the WET-CPMG pulse sequence.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool capable of providing a comprehensive metabolic profile of biofluids such as urine, plasma, and serum. Unfortunately, when measuring serum and plasma, the high protein concentration can obscure the signals originating from low molecular weight metabolites. We evaluated the use of different parameters within the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse train of fast spin-echoes to remove the macromolecular signal contribution in one-dimensional proton (1H) NMR spectra. Experimental parameters such as the refocusing delay in the CPMG pulse train, pulse miscalibration, and recycle time were examined to assess the ability to remove the protein signals from the spectrum without causing a deleterious effect on the signals originating from free, low molecular weight metabolites. The 1H-NMR spectra of a variety of serum samples spiked with 2'-deoxyadenosine were acquired using various acquisition parameters. Our results show that the delay used in the CPMG spin-echo and the combination of the acquisition pulse flip angle and recycle time are the two major factors affecting the observed metabolite signal amplitudes in the resulting 1H-NMR spectrum.

Body Fluids↗

Ultrasound backscattering from non-aggregating and aggregating erythrocytes--a review.

The objective of the present paper is to provide a detailed review of theoretical, experimental and clinical works aimed at understanding the scattering of ultrasound by red blood cells (RBC). The paper focuses on the role of biofluid mechanics and blood biorheology on the scattering mechanisms. The influence of RBC aggregation on the ultrasound backscattered power is specifically addressed. After a short introduction, the paper presents the theory of Rayleigh scattering and summarizes theoretical models on ultrasound backscattering by RBC. The particle, continuum and hybrid models are presented along with reported packing factors used to consider the orderliness in the spatial arrangement of RBC. Computer models of ultrasound backscattering by RBC are also presented in this section. In the second section, experimental factors affecting the ultrasound backscattered power from blood are presented. The influence of the volume of the scatterers, ultrasound frequency, hematocrit, orientation of the scatterers, flow turbulence, flow pulsatility, and concentration of fibrinogen and dextran is discussed. The third section focuses on the use of ultrasound to characterize RBC aggregation. Three aspects are reported: the shear rate dependence of the backscattered power, the "black hole" phenomenon, and the kinetics of RBC rouleau formation. The fourth section reports in vivo observations of the "smoke like" echo in mitral valve disease, and blood echogenicity and backscattered power in veins and arteries. In the last section, new areas of research, clinical applications of ultrasound backscattering, and areas of potential future developments are presented.

Blood Vessels↗

Two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography at low ng/ml levels of the anti-proliferative agent B859-35 in serum with automated sample clean-up, solid-phase trapping and ultraviolet detection.

An automated non-chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of the new anti-proliferative agent B859-35 in serum. This method employs sample clean-up of 1 ml of biofluid by liquid-solid extraction with the AASP (Advanced Automatic Sample Preparation) system. First separation is achieved on a LiChrospher-60-RP-Select-B column. A fraction of this elute is then collected by solid-phase trapping. Thereafter, the final chromatogram is developed on a narrow-bore Hypers1-CPS column and quantified with ultraviolet detection at 230 nm. The limit of quantitation of the assay is 250 ng/ml. Linearity was proven in the range 0.25-100 ng/ml. Typical figures for precision at these concentrations are 7.4 and 3.3%, and for accuracy 8.0 and 1.3%, respectively. An application of this method to the study of pharmacokinetics of B859-35 in serum samples of cancer patients is given.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Application of the restricted-access precolumn packing material alkyl-diol silica in a column-switching system for the determination of ketoprofen enantiomers in horse plasma.

The group of LiChrospher ADS (alkyl-diol silica) sorbents that make part of a unique family of restricted-access materials, have been developed as special packings for precolumns used in the LC-integrated sample processing of biofluids. The advantage of these sorbents lies in the direct injection of untreated biological fluids, that is without sample clean-up, the elimination of the protein matrix with a quantitative recovery together with an on-column enrichment. The present method is based on previous work applying UV detection at 260 nm for ketoprofen determinations. Plasma samples introduced to the ADS precolumn using a 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.0. After washing with the buffer the ADS column was backflushed with the mobile phase 0.01 M phosphate buffer-6% (v/v) 2-propanol-5 mM octanoic acid at a pH of 5.5, thus transporting the analytes to the chiral-HSA (human serum albumin) (100x4.0 mm) column where the separation of the ketoprofen enantiomers was achieved with a resolution factor of 1.4. The developed column-switching method was fully applicable to plasma injections.

Animals↗

Proteomics.

Proteomics is the measurement of one or more protein populations or proteomes, preferably in a quantitative manner. A protein population may be the set of proteins found in an organism, in a tissue or biofluid, in a cell, or in a subcellular compartment. A population also may be the set of proteins with a common characteristic, for example, those that interact with each other in molecular complexes, those involved in the same process such as signal transduction or cell cycle control, or those that share a common posttranslational modification such as phosphorylation or glycosylation. Proteomics experiments that involve mass spectrometry are divided into five categories: (1) protein identification, (2) protein quantitation or differential analysis, (3) protein-protein interactions, (4) post-translational modifications, and (5) structural proteomics. Each of these proteomics categories is reviewed. Examples are given for quantitative experiments involving two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and for gel-free analysis using isotope-coded affinity tags. The impact of proteomics on biological research and on drug development is discussed. Challenges for further development in proteomics are presented, including sample preparation, sensitivity, dynamic range, and automation.

Animals↗

Optical grating coupler biosensors.

By incorporating a grating in a planar optical waveguide one creates a device with which the spectrum of guided lightmodes can he measured. When the surface of the waveguide is exposed to different solutions, the peaks in the spectrum shift due to molecular interactions with the surface. Optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) is a highly sensitive technique that is capable of real-time monitoring of these interactions. Since this integrated optical method is based on the measurement of the polarizability density (i.e., refractive index) in the vicinity of the waveguide surface, radioactive, fluorescent or other kinds of labeling are not required. In addition, measurement of at least two guided modes enables the absolute mass of adsorbed molecules to be determined. In this article, the technique will be described in some detail, and applications from different areas will be discussed. Selected examples will be presented to demonstrate how monitoring the modification of different metal oxides with polymers and the response of the coated oxides to biofluids help in the design of novel biomaterials; how OWLS is useful for accurate bioaffinity sensing, which is a key issue in the development of new drugs; and how the quantitative study of protein-DNA/RNA and cell surface interactions can enhance the understanding of processes in molecular and cellular biology.

Adsorption↗

Copper(II) interactions with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. II. Anthranilic acid as a potential. OH-inactivating ligand.

It has long been established that copper complexes of inactive substances exert antiinflammatory activity and that copper complexes of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are more active than these drugs by themselves. Based on these observations, it was proposed that copper complexes of NAIDs are their active metabolites. This hypothesis was not confirmed for salicylic acid, however, as computer-aided speciation studies have shown that no copper-salicylate complex can reach significant levels in blood plasma. In view of this result, it was of interest to test with the same technique the influence on copper metabolism of an inactive substance known to be activated by copper. Anthranilic acid was chosen for this test in the present work. First, copper(II)-anthranilate interactions have been investigated by glass electrode potentiometry under physiological conditions. Given the key role of histidine as copper(II) ligand in blood plasma, copper(II)-histidine-anthranilate ternary equilibra have also been determined. Computer simulations of copper distribution have then been run relative to the two main biofluids in respect of global metabolism, i.e., gastrointestinal (g.i.) fluid and blood plasma. Like salicylic acid, anthranilic acid is expected to favor copper g.i. absorption, but cannot either exert any significant influence on plasma copper distribution. Clearly, the fact that anthranilate becomes antiinflammatory when administered with copper cannot originate in any effect of anthranilate on copper global metabolism. Speciation investigations have then been extended to the synovial fluid. Whereas salicylate does not appear to be a better ligand of copper in this medium than in blood plasma at any pH between 7.4 and 5.5, anthranilate on the contrary can mobilize increasing fractions of copper as the pH decreases, i.e., the more inflammation, the more copper is bound to anthranilate. This is in line with the recent observation that salicylate inactivates copper-induced .OH radicals through its bulk scavenging properties whereas .OH inactivation by anthranilate under the same conditions is a direct function of the copper-anthranilate binding. Anthranilate thus seems to correspond to the recently defined notion of .OH-inactivating ligand (OIL). More generally, these results provide a beginning of rationale for the antiinflammatory properties of copper complexes with substances that are active or inactive against inflammation by themselves. The extra antiinflammatory activity induced by copper on NSAIDs appears to be independent of any Cu(II)-NSAID association in vivo. On the contrary, the binding of inactive substances with copper(II) at inflammatory sites seems to be essential to their activation by copper.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗