Development of a fast ELISA for quantifying polio D-antigen in in-process samples.

A fast ELISA was developed and qualified for analysis of polio D-antigen. The original 20 h-protocol was optimized by minimizing the total incubation time to 1 h, and by replacing the signal reagent 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine by a chemiluminogenic signal reagent with a theoretical low intrinsic background and high dynamic range.

The identification of a nitrosated prodrug of the PDE-5 inhibitor aildenafil in a dietary supplement: a Viagra with a pop.

A new unapproved analogue of sildenafil was detected in capsules of a herbal dietary supplement promoted as a libido enhancing product. Using LC-DAD-MS, MS-MS, HRMS, IR and NMR the analogue was shown to be a derivative of the PDE-5 inhibitor aildenafil with a nitrosamine moiety. A hydrolysis experiment showed that the new analogue was a prodrug of aildenafil and was therefore named nitroso-prodenafil. A capsule contained 108 mg of nitroso-prodenafil which is equivalent to 84 mg of aildenafil and 5.1 mg of nitrogen monoxide (NO). Although it is unknown how much NO can be usefully generated there is 3-fold more NO present than in a 10 mg isorbide nitrate tablet. Both PDE-5 inhibitors and nitrosamines cause vasodilatation by increasing levels of NO. To their coincidental use is warned against because it may cause a fatal drop in blood pressure. In addition, nitrosamines are known carcinogens. This is the first time a PDE-5 inhibitor and a potential NO donor were identified in one molecule. The findings indicate the dangerous level of advancement in medicinal chemistry by producers of unapproved drugs.

The identification of (-)-trans-tadalafil, tadalafil, and sildenafil in counterfeit Cialis and the optical purity of tadalafil stereoisomers.

Four blisters with suspect Cialis (tadalafil) 20mg tablets were screened for authenticity using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and for the presence of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors using LC-DAD-MS. All samples were identified as counterfeit Cialis and contained sildenafil or a combination of tadalafil and sildenafil. Although the tablets contained efficacious amounts of PDE-5 inhibitors, neither the active ingredient nor the dosage corresponded to the description on the blister. This is the first reported case of a diastereomeric mixture of tadalafil and trans-tadalafil (3:1) being identified in a counterfeit medicine. The LC-DAD-CD revealed that both diastereomers had a high optical purity. The optical rotation of the diastereomeric mixture was measured indicating the presence of (-)-trans-tadalafil, which is the only other stereoisomer with some PDE-5 inhibitory activity. As no safety profiles are known for the stereoisomers of tadalafil, there is a potential health risk. In addition, the optical purity of tadalafil needs to be taken into account when calculating the dosage in illegal medicines.

The use of proton NMR as an alternative for the amino acid analysis as identity test for peptides.

Proton NMR was evaluated as an alternative to amino acid analysis as an identity test for peptides. Proton NMR can readily distinguish and identify all peptides currently described in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.). A comparison with amino acid analysis as an identity test is presented.

Structure elucidation of a novel synthetic thiono analogue of sildenafil detected in an alleged herbal aphrodisiac.

A new analogue of sildenafil was detected in a herbal aphrodisiac. The structure of the compound was established using LC-MS, UV and IR spectroscopy, MS-MS, and NMR. The compound, named thio-homosildenafil is a synthetic N-ethylpiperazine analogue of sildenafil in which also the CO moiety has been converted into a CS group. This is the first time a sildenafil analogue modified at the chromophore was identified as an adulterant of a herbal aphrodisiac. Preliminary pharmacological analysis confirmed the erectogenic potency of thio-homosildenafil.

Acute effect of air pollution on respiratory complaints, exhaled NO and biomarkers in nasal lavages of allergic children during the pollen season.

During 2 months of the pollen season, the acute and putative adjuvant effect of traffic-related air pollution on respiratory health was investigated in children sensitised to grass pollen or house dust mite (HDM). Respiratory complaints were objectified via measurement of exhaled NO and inflammatory mediators in nasal lavage (NAL). During the study children, skin prick negative (n = 31) or positive to grass pollen (n = 22), HDM (n = 34) or grass pollen + HDM (n = 32), kept a daily diary on respiratory symptoms, and NAL and exhaled air was sampled twice a week. The level of air pollutants and pollen was monitored continuously. Like children sensitised to HDM, those sensitised to pollen reported respiratory complaints (shortness of breath, itchy eyes or blocked nose) more frequently than non-sensitised children during (but not before) the pollen season; the respiratory complaints of sensitised children were independent of the pollen level. In addition, exposure to increased levels of PM(10) induces 'shortness of breath' in pollen- and HDM-sensitised children, whereas ozone induces a blocked nose in HDM-sensitised children. Combined exposure to PM(10) + pollen and O(3) + pollen induces a blocked nose in both HDM-sensitised children and children sensitised to pollen + HDM. Significant positive associations were found between eNO and the levels of NO(2), CO, PM(2.5) and pollen in both sensitised and non-sensitised children. At the start of the pollen season, the NAL concentration of eosinophils and ECP in pollen-sensitised children was increased compared to winter, but their levels were not further affected by increased exposure to pollen or air pollution. In conclusion, during the pollen season, sensitised children continuously report a high prevalence of respiratory complaints which coincides with increased levels of upper and lower airway inflammatory markers. No additional pro-inflammatory effect of air pollution was observed, which indicates that air pollution does not facilitate allergen-induced inflammatory responses.

Exhaled NO level and number of eosinophils in nasal lavage as markers of pollen-induced upper and lower airway inflammation in children sensitive to grass pollen.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the upper and lower inflammatory response induced by natural exposure to grass pollen in atopic and non-atopic children. METHODS: After children's atopic profile had been assessed, their nasal lavage fluid (NAL) and exhaled air was sampled once before and once during the pollen season. Level of nitric oxide (NO) was determined in exhaled air, and the following mediators were measured in NAL: ECP, IL-6, IL-8, albumin, uric acid, and urea. The number of eosinophils in NAL was determined after Giemsa staining. During the experiment ozone and pollen levels were measured continuously. RESULTS: During the pollen season the level of grass pollen was 95 pollen grains per cubic metre. At baseline, 8.0% and 5.4% of total cells in NAL of children sensitive to, respectively, house dust mite (HDM) and pollen + HDM were eosinophils, whereas virtually no eosinophils were observed in NAL of non-atopic children. In contrast to the non-atopic and HDM groups, in children sensitive only to grass pollen, grass pollen induced a threefold increase in the percentage of NAL eosinophils and a 2.5-fold increase in the NAL level of ECP ( P<0.05). In all groups, the NAL levels of albumin, uric acid, urea, IL-6 and IL-8 were not significantly increased by pollen exposure. At baseline, children sensitive to HDM showed significantly higher exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) values than non-atopic subjects and children sensitive only to pollen (79 to 141% increase). During pollen exposure eNO of children sensitive only to pollen increased from 35.8 to 64.5 ppb ( P<0.05), whereas no increase in eNO was observed in the other children. CONCLUSION: Pollen-sensitive children show a season-dependent upper and lower airway inflammatory response, resembling the continuous inflammation in HDM-sensitive children.

Intestinal toxicity and carcinogenic potential of the food mutagen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in DNA repair deficient XPA-/- mice.

The effects of the food mutagen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) were studied in DNA repair deficient XPA(-/-) mice. The nullizygous XPA-knockout mice, which lack a functional nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, were exposed to dietary concentrations ranging from 10 to 200 p.p.m. The results show that PhIP is extremely toxic to XPA(-/-) mice, even at doses 10-fold lower than tolerated by wild-type C57BL/6 mice. XPA(-/-) mice rapidly lost weight and died within 2 and 6 weeks upon administration of 200 and 100 p.p.m., respectively. Intestinal abnormalities like distended and overfilled ileum and caecum, together with clear signs of starvation, suggests that the small intestines were the primary target tissue for the severe toxic effects. Mutation analysis in XPA(-/-) mice carrying a lacZ reporter gene, indicated that the observed toxicity of PhIP might be caused by genotoxic effects in the small intestine. LacZ mutant frequencies appeared to be selectively and dose-dependently increased in the intestinal DNA of treated XPA(-/-) mice. Furthermore, DNA repair deficient XPC(-/-) mice, which are still able to repair DNA damage in actively transcribed genes, did not display any toxicity upon treatment with PhIP (100 p.p.m.). This suggests that transcription coupled repair of DNA damage (PhIP adducts) in active genes plays a crucial role in preventing the intestinal toxicity of PhIP. Finally, PhIP appeared to be carcinogenic for XPA(-/-) mice at subtoxic doses. Upon treatment of the mice for 6 months with 10 or 25 p.p.m. PhIP, significantly increased tumour incidences were observed after a total observation period of one year. At 10 p.p.m. only lymphomas were found, whereas at 25 p.p.m. some intestinal tumours (adenomas and adenocarcinomas) were also observed.

Comparative studies of the chemiluminescent horseradish peroxidase-catalysed peroxidation of acridan (GZ-11) and luminol reactions: effect of pH and scavengers of reactive oxygen species on the light intensity of these systems.

In this study, the chemiluminescent horseradish peroxidase/H(2)O(2)-catalysed oxidation of acridan (GZ-11) substrate was compared with the well-characterized light-producing luminol reaction. p-Iodophenol and p-phenylphenol were used as enhancers, respectively, for the luminol and acridan reactions. These two light-producing systems showed significant differences in relation to the effect of pH, as well as the effect of scavengers of reactive oxygen species, on the light intensity. Light production measured could be as low as pH 2.6 in the acridan reaction, whereas light emission was not detected in the luminol system below pH 5.6. In contrast with the luminol system, it was found that superoxide dismutase does not inhibit the light intensity of the acridan system. This suggests that superoxide anion does not participate in the mechanism of the light-emitting steps of the acridan reaction. Addition of hydroxyl radical scavengers, mannitol and benzoate, to the acridan reaction medium had no appreciable effect on the chemiluminescent intensity, indicating that hydroxyl radicals do not interfere in light-emitting steps. In addition, the peroxidation of the acridan substrate was found to be very slow at pH 5.6 in the absence of the enhancer, p-phenylphenol, whereas in its presence a rapid degradation of the acridan substrate was observed. Therefore, it is suggested that the enhancer might be initially oxidized by the HRP/H(2)O(2) system, resulting in the formation of the enhancer radical, which could be the actual oxidizing agent of the acridan substrate. Together, the data presented in this paper indicate that the chemiluminescent horseradish peroxidase-catalysed peroxidation of acridan (GZ-11) is more specific than the luminol reaction for the reactive oxygen species involved in the light-emitting steps, i. e, H(2)O(2).

Chemical properties of the ultimate metabolites of 2-amino-5-phenylpyridine (PHE-P-1) and its ortho-methyl derivative.

The reactivity of the N-acetoxy metabolite of 2-amino-5-phenylpyridine (Phe-P-1), a pyrolysis product of phenylalanine, towards 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG), 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate (dGMP) and DNA was studied and compared with that of the ortho-methyl derivative. Reaction of 2-acetoxyamino-5-phenylpyridine (N-OAc-APP) with dG resulted in substitution at the 8-position of this nucleoside by the ortho carbon of the amine. The major reaction, however, was acetylation of dG. In contrast, 2-acetoxyamino-3-methyl-5-phenyl-pyridine (N-OAc-MeAPP) mainly attacked the 8-position of dG by the exocyclic nitrogen and hardly any acetylation of the nucleoside occurred. The adducts were chromatographically isolated and characterized by their mass and NMR spectra. Upon reaction of N-acetoxy compounds with DNA and dGMP, formation of the same adducts was observed, besides the formation of minor amounts of unidentified compounds, as was established by 32P-postlabelling analysis. The amount of DNA-bound amine, formed by the interaction of N-OAc-APP with DNA, was approximately 15 times smaller than that observed after the reaction with the corresponding ortho-methyl derivative under the same conditions.

Glycosyl compositions and structural characteristics of the potential immuno-adjuvant active saponins in the Quillaja saponaria Molina extract quil A.

Fifty saponin components of Quil A, a commercially available extract from the bark of the South American tree Quillaja saponaria Molina, were partially structurally characterised. The molecular weights were determined by fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The glycosyl and elemental composition of all the saponins was determined by applying our recently developed method, monomer mapping, consisting of a computer program and accurate mass measurements. Support for the presumed identity of the aglycone, i.e. quillaic acid, was found in the accurate mass determination, 1H NMR measurement and chemical reactions. The saponin composition of Quil A was shown to consist of pairs. Within the 3-O bound glycosyl moiety of a pair there was a structural difference: a pentose and rhamnose were interchanged. Structural differences between different pairs were located in the 28-O bound glycosyl moiety. A structural element, unknown to date and of which the elemental composition was deduced to be C8H12O5, was found in the 28-O bound glycosyl moiety of several saponins.

Conformation and quantification of chloramphenicol in cow's urine, muscle and eggs by electron capture negative ion chemical ionization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

A method is described for the determination of residues of the antibiotic chloramphenicol in biological samples. The method is based on gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry and uses (37Cl2)chloramphenicol as internal standard. Selective ion monitoring of four analyte-specific ions enables the determination of chloramphenicol levels in urine of 3 micrograms l-1 with a coefficient of variation of 8%. The limit of detection of the method is 0.1 p.p.b. for urine, muscle and egg.

Development of a competitive enzyme immunoassay for 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone.

Because 17 beta-19-nortestosterone and its esters are frequently used anabolic steroids in cattle in Europe, there is a need for an assay that can also detect certain metabolites. The enzyme immunoassay described here involves the detection and quantitation of the major metabolite 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone in urine. The assay is based on the coating of an antibody raised in a rabbit against 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone-3-carboxy-methyloxime-bovine serum albumin (17 alpha-19-NT-3-CMO-BSA), the competitive incubation of 17 alpha-19-NT and the 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone-3-CMO-horseradish peroxidase label, followed by the detection of the blue colour developed by the action of the enzyme on tetramethylbenzidine. The 3-CMO conjugate of 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone was used to produce an antibody with selective affinity for the 17 alpha-epimer. For the optimization of the assay, different coatings and incubation conditions were tested. The standard curve ranged between 0.98 and 4000 pg per well, with a B/B0 50% of +/- 65 pg per well. Colour was measured with a microtitre plate reader. The method was validated by means of certified blank and spiked cattle urine samples.

Synthesis of 13C-labeled steroid hormones.

The synthesis of 13C-labeled steroid hormones is reviewed. Two general approaches are highlighted: partial synthesis in which part of the steroid nucleus is replaced with 13C-labeled synthons, and total synthesis. Examples from both approaches, leading to (3-(3)C)-, (4-(13)C)-, (3,4-(13)C2)-, and (1,2,3,4-(13)C4)- labeled steroid hormones (e.g., testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and cortisol), are presented.

Synthesis of heterocyclic N-acetoxyarylamines and their reactivity with DNA.

2-Acetoxyamino-5-phenylpyridine and 2-acetoxyamino-3-methyl-5-phenylpyridine, being proposed ultimate carcinogens of the heterocyclic aromatic amines 2-amino-5-phenylpyridine (APP) and 2-amino-3-methyl-5-phenylpyridine (AMPP), respectively, were synthesized, crystallized and characterized. Using the 32P-postlabelling technique, we show that the total amount of adducts found in DNA after reaction with these N-acetoxyarylamines is at least 30- and 450-fold higher than in DNA reacted with equimolar amounts of the proposed proximate carcinogens 2-hydroxyamino-5-phenylpyridine and 2-hydroxyamino-3-methyl-5-phenylpyridine, respectively. These results support a postulated activation mechanism, in which N-acetoxyarylamines are the ultimate reactive species responsible for DNA modification by carcinogenic aromatic amines in vivo. The possibility to obtain the reactive 0-acetyl derivatives of APP and AMPP in crystalline form makes them unique model compounds for studies on the interaction of ultimate carcinogens of aromatic amines with DNA.

Characteristics and detection principles of a new enzyme label producing a long-term chemiluminescent signal.

A new enzyme label system is described which is superior to all existing chemiluminescence labels used in immunoassays. The system consists of the enzyme xanthine oxidase with hypoxanthine as substrate. The signal reagent contains perborate, an Fe-EDTA complex and luminol. The enzyme preparation and the signal reagent are very stable upon storage. The main features of the system are a long duration of the chemiluminescent signal (half-life time of 30 hours) and a very low limit of detection (about 3 amol). Possibilities and implications for the use of various measuring systems are discussed.

Multi-immunoaffinity chromatography: a simple and highly selective clean-up method for multi-anabolic residue analysis of meat.

A method for the detection of nortestosterone (NT) in bovine muscle at levels below 1 microgram/kg is described, based on enzymatic digestion of the sample, clean-up by immunoaffinity chromatography after defatting and detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (selected-ion monitoring). The immunoaffinity matrix was prepared after combining the isolated immunoglobulin G fractions from a rabbit antiserum raised against NT and methyltestosterone (MT). Its capacity per millilitre of gel was approximately 10 ng for each of the two steroids. Results for samples containing 0.1 microgram/kg NT and above are described. It is concluded that for multi-residue analysis of samples of muscle at levels as low as 0.1 microgram/kg, multi-immunoaffinity chromatography is a very suitable method of sample clean-up. For purposes of quantification the trideuterated internal standard [16,16,17 alpha-2H3] nortestosterone was synthesized.

Determination of the heroin metabolite 6-acetylmorphine by high-performance liquid chromatography using automated pre-column derivatization and fluorescence detection.

An improved method for the determination of 6-acetylmorphine in the urine of drug addicts receiving morphine was developed. A newly introduced reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic system proved to be more sensitive than a normal-phase system used previously. By replacing the earlier manual derivatization procedure with an automated on-line pre-column method, both the reproducibility and efficiency were considerably improved. Coefficients of variation for repeated analyses typically ranged from 6 to 10% in the 1-100 micrograms/l concentration range. The detection limit was 1 microgram/l and the correction for recovery by calibration with blank urine samples spiked with 6-acetylmorphine was satisfactory. The analytical improvements achieved, however, did not increase the chance of detecting heroin use by drug addicts.