Imaging MALDI MS of Dosed Brain Tissues Utilizing an Alternative Analyte Pre-extraction Approach.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry has been adopted in the pharmaceutical industry as a useful tool to detect xenobiotic distribution within tissues. A unique sample preparation approach for MALDI imaging has been described here for the extraction and detection of cobimetinib and clozapine, which were previously undetectable in mouse and rat brain using a single matrix application step. Employing a combination of a buffer wash and a cyclohexane pre-extraction step prior to standard matrix application, the xenobiotics were successfully extracted and detected with an 8 to 20-fold gain in sensitivity. This alternative approach for sample preparation could serve as an advantageous option when encountering difficult to detect analytes.

Determination of stimulants using gas chromatography/high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a soft ionization source.

RATIONALE: The aim of this study was to investigate the mass spectral fragmentation of a small set of stimulants in a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with a soft ionization source using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons emitted from different plasma gases. It was postulated that the use of a plasma gas such as Xe, which emits photons at a lower energy than Kr or Ar, would lead to softer ionization of the test compounds, and thus to less fragmentation. METHODS: A set of nine stimulants: cocaine, codeine, nicotine, methadone, phenmetrazine, pentylenetetrazole, niketamide, fencamfamine, and caffeine, was analyzed by gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOFMS) in positive ion mode with this soft ionization source, using either Xe, Kr, or Ar as plasma gases. Working solutions of the test compounds at 0.1 to 100 ng/µL were used to establish instrument sensitivity and linearity. RESULTS: All test compounds, except methadone and pentylenetetrazole, exhibited strong molecular ions and no fragmentation with Xe-microplasma photoionization (MPPI). Methadone exhibited significant fragmentation not only with Xe, but also with Kr and Ar, and pentylenetetrazole could not be ionized with Xe, probably because its ionization energy is above 8.44 eV. The Kr- and Ar-MPPI mass spectra of the test compounds showed that the relative intensity of the molecular ion decreased as the photon energy increased. CONCLUSIONS: When coupled to a TOF mass spectrometer this soft ionization source has demonstrated signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios from 7 to 730 at 100 pg per injection (depending on the compound), and a dynamic range of three orders of magnitude (100 pg to 100 ng) for some of the test compounds.

Evidence that clozapine directly interacts on the GABAB receptor.

Neurophysiological studies suggest that clozapine may facilitate γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) neurotransmission. Therefore, we studied the interaction between clozapine and the GABAB receptor (GABABR). We showed that clozapine, and not N-desmethylclozapine, which is a metabolite of clozapine, increased the binding of the GABABR antagonist, [³H]-CGP54626A, at GABABRs. Linear regression analysis showed that the correlation between the dose of clozapine and the increase of [³H]-CGP54626A binding was significant. The curve of specific [³H]-CGP54626A binding in competition with different concentrations of GABA was left shifted in the presence of clozapine. With HEK293 cells overexpressing GABABR, we showed that clozapine had a significant increase of [³H]-CGP54626A binding at GABABR1 subunit, which provided a clue of the potential therapeutic target of clozapine.

The use of symmetry in enantioselective synthesis: four pairs of chrysene enantiomers prepared from 19-nortestosterone.

Expansion of the D-ring of 19-norsteroids with incorporation of the steroid C-18 methyl group into a newly formed six-membered ring provides easy access to the chrysene ring system. By taking advantage of the symmetry of the chrysene ring system and avoiding meso chrysene intermediates, four optically pure 2,8-difunctionalized (C-2 hydroxyl group and C-8 oxo group) hexadecahydrochrysene diastereomers, and their corresponding optically pure enantiomers were prepared from 19-nortestosterone. The eight chrysene stereoisomers are of interest as starting materials for preparing chrysene analogues of physiologically important neurosteroids.

Immunosensor for detection of inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid using quartz crystal microbalance.

A piezoelectric immunosensor for sensing the low molecular weight neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), one of two major inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, is described. The sensing interface consists of a dextran layer covalently attached to a self-assembled monolayer of thiolamine compound on the surface of gold electrodes of the crystals. The dextran layer is further modified with GABA molecules to act as the biosensing layer. The affinity binding of monoclonal anti-GABA antibody on the modified piezoelectric crystals is studied in real time without any additional labels. The equilibrium association constant, K(eq) for binding between anti-GABA antibody and GABA molecules is 14.5 microg x mL (-1). The detection limit for anti-GABA is approximately 10 nM. The sensitivity of the sensor at a concentration corresponding to half-maximal response is 13.6 ng/mL x Hz. The functionalized sensor substrate is subsequently used for competitive determination of different concentrations of free GABA (range of 5 microM-50 mM) in PBS-BSA buffer. The detection limit of the immunosensor for sensing GABA with maximum sensitivity is approximately 42 microM.

The seasonality and role of the neurotoxin tetramine in the salivary glands of the red whelk Neptunea antiqua (L.).

The red whelk Neptunea antiqua (family Buccinidae) is a sublittoral species of marine prosobranch mollusc that occurs in the cold temperate waters of the Eastern Atlantic Boreal Region. A clearly defined seasonal cycle was revealed in the concentration of the whelk's salivary gland neurotoxin, tetramine, ranging from undetectable levels to 6530 microg/g over the course of an annual sampling period in the central western Irish Sea. Concentrations of this amine were indirectly related to feeding activity through the use of digestive gland indices. Additionally, laboratory observations confirmed the suspected ability of these whelks to actively predate on bivalves, supporting the use of this toxin in food procurement.

The stability of tetramine, morphine and meperidine in formalin solution.

The stability of tetramine, morphine and meperidine in formalin solution is an important factor for drug analysis in forensic investigation. In this paper, the tissues (liver, kidney, lung and heart) from poisoned rabbits were immersed in 50 ml 10% formalin solutions for 4 months before examination. We compared the levels of tetramine, morphine, meperidine and the main metabolite normeperidine, measured by GC/NPD or GC-MS, in frozen rabbit tissues, formalin-fixed rabbit tissues, and formalin solution. There was a decrease in the levels of tetramine, morphine, meperidine in formalin-preserved tissues compared with the levels of these drugs in the frozen tissues. It is suggested that the formalin-fixed tissues and formalin solution should be analyzed at the same time to assure the accurate results.

Determination of rat brain and plasma levels of the orally active GABAB antagonist 3-amino-propyl-n-butyl-phosphinic acid (CGP 36742) by a new GC/MS method.

An involvement of GABAergic neurons has been suggested in the process of memory consolidation based on anatomical evidence and increasing physiological and biochemical data. With the advent of orally active GABAB antagonists, such as CGP 36742, the question of their therapeutic value, for example in Alzheimer's disease, becomes relevant. Therefore, a new GC/MS method was developed to determine the concentration of CGP 36742 (3-amino-propyl-n-butyl phosphinic acid) in various intra- and extracerebral tissues after different routes of application. The compound was chemically derivatised in a two-step process (acylation of the amino group and esterification of the phosphinic acid). The limit of detection of the method was 0.01 microgram/g tissue and 0.0005 microgram/mL plasma. The time-course after i.p. treatment showed peak levels of CGP 36742 between 30 min and 1 hr after injection. After a dose of 100 mg/kg, the concentration in the brain ranged from 1 to 1.4 microgram/g or 6 to 8 microM, assuming that 1 mg tissue equals 1 microL (i.e., below the IC50 of the interaction with GABAB receptors as measured by [3-3H]-aminopropyl-phosphinic acid binding [35 microM]). These results are discussed in light of the psychopharmacological effects (improvement of cognitive performance of rats) of CGP 36742 observed at very low oral doses.