Performance evaluation of the HPLC diode array and evaporative light scattering detection for the implementation of dose-banded gemcitabine infusion bags.

BACKGROUND: Dose banding (DB) was used to optimise the individualisation of patient treatments with gemcitabine (Gem) in order to improve workload planning at the pharmacy of the University Hospital Centre of Besançon (UHCB). A new simple and fast high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was also developed for the quantification of Gem without dilution of the infusion bags. METHODS: Individual doses of Gem preparations were retrospectively analysed over a 1-year period to determine the frequency of prepared doses. Using a maximum gap of 7.5% around the doses chosen, the selected Gem standard doses were 1400 mg, 1600 mg, 1800 mg and 2000 mg. Following the DB scheme, the frequency of prescription of standard and individualised Gem doses was analysed over a period of 10 months. The four selected Gem standard doses were aseptically prepared in polyolefin infusion bags. Each series of 20 bags was stocked under refrigerated storage conditions (4°C) for up to 84 days. The quantification of Gem without dilution of the infusion bags was obtained by the development of a HPLC method coupled to a diode array detector (DAD) or an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD). RESULTS: During the 10-month period following implementation of the DB, 75.6% of the 1266 prescribed doses were covered by the four standardised preparations. The number of different Gem doses was reduced from 183 to 55. Concerning the Gem quantification, both heteroscedasticity and non-linearity were observed with DAD. Using an ELSD, the trueness values were between 98.59% and 101.52% with excellent repeatability values between 0.66% and 1.42%. CONCLUSION: A new HPLC method has been developed for the quantification of Gem without dilution of the infusion bags prepared in advance as a result of a target DB scheme successfully implemented in our pharmacy department.

Development of a new heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) chromolith LC column to study the pH dependence binding of peptide vaccines to HSPG and role of human serum albumin on its binding.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) expressed on immune cell surface participate in antitumor T-cell responses generated in the acidic lymph node (LN) microenvironment. In this work, HSPG was immobilized for the first time on a HPLC chromolith support for studying the effect of extra cellular acidosis in LNs on the binding to HSPG of two peptide vaccines (universal cancer peptide UCP2 and UCP4). This home-made HSPG column enabling to work at high flow-rates, was resistance to change in pH, had a long - life time, an excellent repeatability and negligible non-specific binding sites. The performance of this affinity HSPG column was confirmed by the evaluation of recognition assay for a series of known ligand of HSPG. It was shown that at 37 °C, the UCP2 binding to HSPG versus pH described a sigmoidal shape while UCP4 remained relatively constant in the pH range 5.0-7.5 and lower than the one of UCP2. By the use of an HSA HPLC column, it was shown at 37 °C and in acidic conditions a loss of affinity of UCP2 and UCP4 to HSA. It was demonstrated that upon UCP2/HSA binding, the protonation of the histidine residue in the cluster R(arg) Q(Gln) Hist (H) of the UCP2 peptide allowed to expose more favorably than UCP4 its polar and cationic groups to the negative net charge of HSPG on immune cells. Acidic pHs led to the protonation of the UCP2 residue histidine by flipping the His switch to the on position with a concomitant increase in affinity for the negative net charge of HSPG confirming that UCP2 was more immunogenic than UCP4. As well this HSPG chromolith LC column developed in this work could be used in the feature for other protein - HSPG binding studies or for a separative mode.

An HPLC method associated with a thermodynamic analysis to compare the binding of TRAIL and its nanovectorized form to death receptors DR4 and DR5 and their relationship to cytotoxicity.

TRAIL is a member of the TNF family of cytokines which induces apoptosis of cancer cells via its binding to its cognate receptors, DR5 a high affinity site and DR4 a site of low affinity. Our working group has recently demonstrated that nanovectorization of TRAIL with single wall carbon nanotubes (abbreviated NPT) enhanced TRAIL affinity to the high affinity site DR5 and increased pro apoptotic potential in different human tumor cell lines. In this paper, the DR4 low affinity site was immobilized on a chromatographic support and the effect of temperature on a wide temperature range 1°C-50°C was studied to calculate the thermodynamic parameters of the binding of TRAIL and NPT to DR4 and DR5 receptors. For the first time the heat capacity changes for the different binding processes were determined. At a physiological pH (7.4) the heat capacity changes for the binding of NPT to DR4 and DR5 were respectively equal to -0.91kJ/molK and -0.28kJ/molK and those obtained for the binding of TRAIL to DR4 and DR5 were respectively equal to -1.54kJ/molK and -1.05kJ/molK. By the use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), a phase transition (∼12°C for DR5, ∼4°C for DR4) between a disordered (low temperature) and an ordered (high temperature) solid like state visualized in the receptor structure confirmed the temperature dependence of binding affinity enthalpy ΔH for soluble TRAIL and its nanovectorized form to its cognate receptors. In the low temperature domain, the positive ΔH values contribute non-favourably to the free energy of binding, TRAIL and NPT described similar affinities for DR4 and DR5. For the high temperature domain, negative ΔH values indicated that van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding are engaged favourably at the ligand - receptor interface. Above 30°C, their rank-ordered affinities were thus strongly different in the sequence: TRAILDR4

Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans Promote Telomerase Internalization and MHC Class II Presentation on Dendritic Cells.

Telomerase is a prototype-shared tumor Ag and represents an attractive target for anticancer immunotherapy. We have previously described promiscuous and immunogenic HLA-DR-restricted peptides derived from human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and referred as universal cancer peptide (UCP). In nonsmall cell lung cancer, the presence of spontaneous UCP-specific CD4 T cell responses increases the survival of chemotherapy-responding patients. However, the precise mechanisms of hTERT's uptake, processing, and presentation on MHC-II molecules to stimulate CD4 T cells are poorly understood. In this work, by using well-characterized UCP-specific CD4 T cell clones, we showed that hTERT processing and presentation on MHC-II involve both classical endolysosomal and nonclassical cytosolic pathways. Furthermore, to our knowledge, we demonstrated for the first time that hTERT's internalization by dendritic cells requires its interaction with surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Altogether, our findings provide a novel mechanism of tumor-specific CD4 T cell activation and will be useful for the development of novel cancer immunotherapies that harness CD4 T cells.

An HPLC chromatographic framework to analyze the ß-cyclodextrin/solute complexation mechanism using a carbon nanotube stationary phase.

A carbon nanotube (CNT) stationary phase was used for the first time to study the ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) solute complexation mechanism using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). For this, the ß-CD was added at various concentrations in the mobile phase and the effect of column temperature was studied on both the retention of a series of aniline and benzoic acid derivatives with the CNT stationary phase and their complexation mechanism with ß-CD. A decrease in the solute retention factor was observed for all the studied molecules without change in the retention order. The apparent formation constant KF of the inclusion complex ß-CD/solute was determined at various temperatures. Our results showed that the interaction of ß-CD with both the mobile phase and the stationary phase interfered in the complex formation. The enthalpy and entropy of the complex formation (ΔHF and ΔSF) between the solute molecule and CD were determined using a thermodynamic approach. Negative enthalpies and entropies indicated that the inclusion process of the studied molecule in the CD cavity was enthalpically driven and that the hydrogen bonds between carboxylic or aniline groups and the functional groups on the ß-CD rim play an important role in the complex formation.

H2O2: a Ca(2+) or Mg(2+)-sensing function in statin passive diffusion.

In a previous paper Guillaume's group demonstrated that magnesium (Mg(2+) concentration range 0.00-2.60 mm) increased the passive diffusion of statins and thus played a role in their potential toxicity. In order to confirm an increase in this passive diffusion by divalent salt cations, the role of calcium chloride (CaCl2) on the statin-immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) association was studied. It was demonstrated that calcium supplementation (Ca(2+) concentration range 0.00-3.25 mm) increases the statin passive diffusion. In addition, it was shown that the Ca(2+) effect on the statin-IAM association is higher than that of Mg(2+). These results show that Ca(2+) enhances the passive diffusion of drugs into biological membranes and thus their potential toxicity. Also, addition of H2O2 to the medium showed a hyperbolic response for the statin passive diffusion and this effect was enhanced for the highest Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) concentrations in the medium. H2O2 is likely to interact with the polar head groups of the IAM through dipole-dipole interactions. The conformational changes in H2O2-IAM result in a higher degree of exposure of hydrophobic areas, thus explaining why the binding of pravastatin, which showed the lowest logP value, was less affected by H2O2. This result shows the significant contribution of H2O2 and thus the oxidative stress on the statin passive diffusion. Much of the sensitivity derives from the action of Ca(2+) or Mg(2+), in turn supported the idea that H2O2 may serve a Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) sensing function in statin passive diffusion.

Thermodynamic study of transthyretin association (wild-type and senile forms) with heparan sulfate proteoglycan: pH effect and implication of the reactive histidine residue.

The tetramer destabilization of transthyretin into monomers and its fibrillation are phenomena leading to amyloid deposition. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) has been found in all amyloid deposits. A chromatographic approach was developed to compare binding parameters between wild-type transthyretin (wtTTR) and an amyloidogenic transthyretin (sTTR). Results showed a greater affinity of sTTR for HSPG at pH 7.4 compared with wtTTR owing to the monomeric form of sTTR. Analysis of the thermodynamic parameters showed that van der Waals interactions were involved at the complex interface for both transthyretin forms. For sTTR, results from the plot representing the number of protons exchanged vs pH showed that the binding mechanism was pH-dependent with a critical value at a pH 6.5. This observation was due to the protonation of a histidine residue as an imidazolium cation, which was not accessible when TTR was in its tetrameric structure. At pH >6.5, dehydration at the binding interface and several contacts between nonpolar groups of sTTR and HSPG were also coupled to binding for an optimal hydrogen-bond network. At pH <6.5, the protonation of the His residue from sTTR monomer when pH decreased broke the hydrogen-bond network, leading to its destabilization and thus producing slight conformational changes in the sTTR monomer structure.

The protease activity of transthyretin reverses the effect of pH on the amyloid-ß protein/heparan sulfate proteoglycan interaction: a biochromatographic study.

Patients suffering of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are characterized by a low transthyretin (TTR) level in the brain. The effect of pH and TTR concentration in the medium on the ß-amyloid protein (Aß)/heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) association mechanism were studied using a biochromatographic approach. For this purpose, HSPG was immobilized via amino groups onto the amino propyl silica pre-packed column, activated with glutaraldehyde, by using the Schiff base method. Using an equilibrium perturbation method, it was clearly shown that Aß can be bound with HSPG. This approach allowed the determination of the thermodynamic data of this binding mechanism. The role of the pH was also analyzed. Results from enthalpy-entropy compensation and the plot of the number of protons exchanged versus pH showed that the binding mechanism was dependent on pH with a critical value at pH=6.5. This value agreed with a histidine protonation as an imidazolium cation. Moreover, the corresponding thermodynamical data showed that at pH>6.5, van der Waals and hydrogen bonds due to aromatic amino acids as tyrosine or phenylalanine present in the N-terminal (NT) part governed the Aß/HSPG association. Aß remained in its physiological structure in a random coil form (i.e. the non-amyloidogenic structure) because van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds were preponderant. At acidic pH (pH<6.5), ionic and hydrophobic interactions, created by histidine protonation and hydrophobic amino acids, appeared in the Aß/HSPG binding. These hydrophobic and ionic interactions led to the conversion of the random coil form of Aß into a ß-sheet structure which was the amyloidogenic folding. When TTR was incubated with Aß, the Aß/HSPG association mechanism was enthalpy driven at all pH values. The affinity of Aß for HSPG decreased when TTR concentration increased due to the complexation of Aß with TTR. Also, the decrease of the peak area with the increase of TTR concentration demonstrated that this Aß/TTR association led to the cleavage of Aß full length to a smaller fragment. For acidic pH (pH<6.5), it was shown that the importance of the hydrophobic and ionic interactions decreased when TTR concentration increased. This result confirmed that Aß was cleaved by TTR in a part containing only the NT part. Our results demonstrated clearly that TTR reversed the effect of acidic pH and thus played a protective role in AD.

Carbon nanotube poroshell silica as a novel stationary phase for fast HPLC analysis of monoclonal antibodies.

A new carbon nanotube porous silica poroshell stationary phase was developed. The chromatographic support was coated with ultrashort single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in a noncovalent way. It was demonstrated that the porous amino silica surface of the 300 NH2 poroshell column stabilized with 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone efficiently and stably adsorbed SWCNTs onto the chromatographic support. It was shown that this novel poroshell carbon nanotube (CNT) stationary phase was very useful for the HPLC separation of a series of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in a short analysis time (<3 min). The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was validated and was successfully tested for the fast quantitative and qualitative control of chemotherapeutic bags fabricated in a hospital pharmacy.