In vivo and in vitro evidence for nonrestricted transport of 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein tetraacetoxymethyl ester at the blood-brain barrier.

2' ,7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein tetraacetoxymethyl ester (BCECF-AM), a fluorescence reagent for the measurement of intracellular pH with a molecular weight of 809 Da, was used to test the hypothesis that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) does not restrict the influx of substrate with a molecular weight greater than 600 Da. Using cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC), the influx rate of BCECF-AM was found to be 151 +/- 2 microl/min/mg protein and was extrapolated to give 446 +/- 7 microl/min/g brain as a BBB permeability surface area product (PS). No significant saturation was observed for the initial in vitro uptake of BCECF-AM into BCEC at concentrations 0.1, 1.0 and 5.0 microM. The apparent activation energy of the initial uptake of BCECF-AM was found to be 5.09 kcal/mol. These results suggest that BCECF-AM is transported into the BBB by passive diffusion. The in vivo BBB PS value was also found to be 295 +/- 48 microl/min/g brain and 132 +/- 24 microl/min/g brain by the in situ brain perfusion and the carotid artery injection methods, respectively. No significant efflux of BCECF-AM from the brain was observed over a 120 sec washout period, suggesting that BCECF-AM is immediately hydrolyzed to BCECF, a hydrophilic analogue, in the brain after crossing the BBB. The octanol/water partition coefficient of BCECF-AM was found to be 5.66 +/- 0.27. The BBB PS value of BCECF-AM was predicted to be 105 microl/min/g brain, based on the relationship between the BBB PS value and the value of partition coefficient divided by the square root of the molecular weight. These results demonstrate that BCECF-AM transport across the BBB is not restricted despite its large molecular size.

Determination of dioxopiperazine metabolites of quinapril in biological fluids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The dioxopiperazine metabolites of quinapril in plasma and urine were extracted with hexane-dichloroethane (1:1) under acidic conditions. Following derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide and purification of the desired reaction products using a column packed with silica gel, the metabolites were analysed separately by capillary column gas chromatography-electron-impact mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring. The limits of quantitation for the metabolites were 0.2 ng/ml in plasma and 1 ng/ml in urine. The limits of detection were 0.1 ng/ml in plasma and 0.5 ng/ml in urine, at a single-to-noise ratio of greater than 3 and greater than 5, respectively. The proposed method is applicable to pharmacokinetic studies.

Characteristics of anti-testosterone antisera produced by bovine serum albumin conjugates of 15 alpha- and 15 beta-carboxymethyltestosterone: use of [125I]iodinated tracers.

Each testosterone [125I]iodinated histamine derivative where [125I]iodinated histamines were linked to respective 15 alpha- and 15 beta-carboxymethyltestosterone (15 alpha- and 15 beta-CMT), testosterone-3-(O-carboxymethyl)oxime (T-3-CMO) and testosterone-17 beta-hemisuccinate (T-17-HS) were tested for their usefulness as radiotracers in testosterone immunoassay. In the use of anti-15 alpha- and 15 beta-CMT antisera produced in rabbits against 15 alpha- and 15 beta-CMT-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates, the antisera with 15 alpha- and 15 beta-CMT-[125I]iodinated tracers showed low sensitivity and somewhat low specificity in comparison with those of the antisera with tritiated testosterone (T-3H). On the other hand, the antisera with T-3-CMO-[125I]iodinated tracer showed high sensitivity but low specificity for 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT) in comparison with T-3H. The T-17-HS-[125I]iodinated tracer was not bound to the antisera. In the use of anti-15 alpha- and 15 beta-CMT antisera produced in rabbits by pretreatment with 15 alpha-carboxymethyl-5 alpha-DHT linked to a copolymer of D-glutamic acid and D-lysine followed by immunization with 15 alpha- and 15 beta-CMT-BSA, the antisera with homologous [125I]iodinated tracer showed high sensitivity and specificity.

Production of highly specific anti-testosterone antiserum by an immunotolerance method.

Anti-testosterone antisera were produced by pretreatment of rabbits with 15 alpha-carboxymethyl-5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone linked to a copolymer of D-glutamic acid and D-lysine (D-GL) before immunization with the bovine serum albumin conjugate of 15 alpha- and 15 beta-carboxymethyltestosterone. The specificity for 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone of the antitestosterone antisera was considerably improved.

Histochemical studies on protein plugs obtained by endoscopic retrograde catheterization of the papilla.

In order to elucidate mechanisms of protein plug formation, histochemical studies were performed on aggregates and protein plugs present in pancreatic juice. Pancreatic juice was obtained from three control subjects and five patients with chronic pancreatitis through endoscopic retrograde catheterization of the papilla. Specimens for staining were prepared in two ways: (1) fixed with 10 per cent formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin and sectioned, and (2) placed on slide glass and fixed with isopropylalcohol. Staining included hematoxylin-eosin, periodic-acid Schiff, von Kossa, alcian blue, toluidine blue and double staining with PAS and AB. The process of protein plug formation can be as follows: (1) a prerequisite for aggregate formation, consisting of clusters of desquamated epithelial cells, highly concentrated sulfated acidic mucopolysaccharide and neutral mucopolysaccharide, (2) formation of aggregates in which epithelial cells and amorphous substance are interlaced with developing fine reticular substance, (3) enlargement of aggregates by fusion with adjacent aggregates through bridging action of the reticular substance sprouting, like prickles, from their surface, and (4) "maturity" of aggregates, taking a three-dimensional form which result in a spherical, spheroidal or cylindrical protein plug.