Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for determination of methanesulfonamide in human urine.

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatographic method coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for the quantification of methanesulfonamide (MSA) in human urine. MSA is a potential in vivo metabolite of reparixin, a specific inhibitor of the CXCL8 biological activity. In this study, a simple derivatization procedure with a new reagent, N-(4-methanesulfonyl-benzoyl)-imidazole, was set up to enable MSA and the internal standard (I.S.), ethanesulfonamide (ESA), to be analysed by LC-MS/MS. After derivatization, samples were evaporated and reconstituted in 30% acetonitrile, aq. MSA and I.S. derivatives were separated by reversed phased HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) on a Luna 5micro C18 column and quantitated by MS/MS using electrospray ionization (ESI) and multiple reaction monitoring (MR M) in the negative ion mode. The most intense [M-H](-) MRM transition of derivatized MSA at m/z 276.2-->197.2 was used for quantitation and the transition at m/z 290.2-->211.2 was used to monitor derivatized ESA. The method was linear over the concentration range from 1 to 100 microg/ml, with a lower limit of quantitation of 1 microg/ml. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 5.5% and 10.1%, respectively, and the accuracies were between -4.0% and +11.3%. The method was successfully applied to quantify levels of MSA in human urine after intravenous administration of reparixin to healthy volunteers.

Size matters more than chemistry for cloud-nucleating ability of aerosol particles.

Size-resolved cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) spectra measured for various aerosol types at a non-urban site in Germany showed that CCN concentrations are mainly determined by the aerosol number size distribution. Distinct variations of CCN activation with particle chemical composition were observed but played a secondary role. When the temporal variation of chemical effects on CCN activation is neglected, variation in the size distribution alone explains 84 to 96% of the variation in CCN concentrations. Understanding that particles' ability to act as CCN is largely controlled by aerosol size rather than composition greatly facilitates the treatment of aerosol effects on cloud physics in regional and global models.

Smoking rain clouds over the Amazon.

Heavy smoke from forest fires in the Amazon was observed to reduce cloud droplet size and so delay the onset of precipitation from 1.5 kilometers above cloud base in pristine clouds to more than 5 kilometers in polluted clouds and more than 7 kilometers in pyro-clouds. Suppression of low-level rainout and aerosol washout allows transport of water and smoke to upper levels, where the clouds appear "smoking" as they detrain much of the pollution. Elevating the onset of precipitation allows invigoration of the updrafts, causing intense thunderstorms, large hail, and greater likelihood for overshooting cloud tops into the stratosphere. There, detrained pollutants and water vapor would have profound radiative impacts on the climate system. The invigorated storms release the latent heat higher in the atmosphere. This should substantially affect the regional and global circulation systems. Together, these processes affect the water cycle, the pollution burden of the atmosphere, and the dynamics of atmospheric circulation.

Pharmacokinetics of high-dose buprenorphine following single administration of sublingual tablet formulations in opioid naïve healthy male volunteers under a naltrexone block.

Sublingual buprenorphine formulations have been developed as treatments for opioid dependence. In three studies, opioid naïve healthy male subjects received Subutex tablets (buprenorphine 2 and 8 mg [N=27] or 12 and 16 mg [N=27]) or Suboxone (two formulations) tablets (buprenorphine 8 mg/naloxone 2 mg [N=36]) sublingually, under a naltrexone block for assessment of buprenorphine pharmacokinetics and tablet disintegration times. Plasma buprenorphine was quantified up to 72 h post-dose using a sensitive LC-MS/MS assay. Mean Cmax values ranged from 1.6 to 6.4 ng/ml and tmax from 0.5 to 3 h. Concentrations declined bi-exponentially and fluctuations after a meal suggested enterohepatic recirculation of buprenorphine. The terminal half-life was approximately 26 h (range 9-69). Cmax and AUC appeared to increase in proportion to Subutex dose over 8-16 mg. The Suboxone formulations were bioequivalent. The least squares mean (90% CI) treatment ratio for Cmax was 1.00 (0.92-1.10) and AUC was 1.00 (0.95-1.06). Median times of disintegration were similar for all doses and formulations (range 6-12 min). Sublingual buprenorphine, up to 40 times the 400 microg analgesic dose, was well tolerated in these opioid naïve subjects, as administration of naltrexone 50-150 mg was sufficient to attenuate anticipated adverse effects in this population of subjects.