Comparison of four cholesterol-based stationary phases for the separation of steroid hormones

Potential of liposomes and lipid membranes for the separation of β-blockers by capillary electromigration and liquid chromatographic techniques

β-Blockers belong to a frequently used class of drugs primarily used to treat heart and circulatory conditions. Here we describe the use of lipid vesicles and liposomes as cell membrane biomimicking models in capillary electromigration (CE) and liquid chromatography (LC) techniques for the investigation of interactions between lipid membranes and β-blockers. In addition to liposomes, the use of commercial intravenous lipid emulsions, and their interactions with β-blockers are also discussed. Different CE and LC instrumental techniques designed for these purposes are introduced. Other methodologies for studying interactions between β-blockers and lipid membranes are also briefly discussed, and the different methodologies are compared. The aim is to give the reader a good overview on the status of the use of liposomes and lipids in CE and LC for studying β-blocker interactions.

Application of a Cholesterol-Based Stationary Phase for the Analysis of Brevetoxins

A high-performance liquid chromatography protocol for the analysis of brevetoxins has been developed using a silica hydride-based cholesterol column. Brevetoxins are neurotoxins produced by harmful algae that have additional potential as drugs for a number of illnesses/diseases. To develop the optimum conditions, a number of different experimental approaches were tested. These include isocratic and gradient elution, different organic mobile phase components, and temperature variations. A separate protocol was developed for the compounds brevenal and brevenol, also produced by the same algae that make brevetoxins. Brevenal is a natural product under investigation as a therapy for chronic respiratory diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or asthma. The goal of this study was to provide a protocol for the analysis of these compounds that could be further developed into a validated method depending on a particular laboratory's capabilities and to highlight some of the unique features of the cholesterol stationary phase.

Emerging or Underestimated Silica-Based Stationary Phases in Liquid Chromatography

Several newly synthesized or forgotten silica-based stationary phases proposed for liquid chromatography are described, including non-endcapped, short-chain alkyl phases; hydrophilic and polar-endcapped stationary phases; polar-embedded alkyl phases; long-chain alkyl phases. Stationary phases with aromatic, cyanopropyl, diol and aminopropyl functionalities are also reviewed. Stationary phases of particular interest are biomolecular materials - based on immobilized cholesterol, aminoacids, peptides, proteins or lipoproteins. Packing materials involving macrocyclic chemistry (crown ethers; calixarenes; aza-macrocycles; oligo-and polysaccharides including these of marine origin - chitin- or chitosan-based; macrocyclic antibiotics) are discussed. Since many stationary phases developed for one type of applications (e.g. chiral separation) have been found useful in solving other analytical problems (e.g. drug's plasma protein binding ability), it seemed reasonable to discuss particular chemistries behind the stationary phases presented in this review rather than specific types of interactions or chromatographic modes.

Secreted Metabolome of Human Macrophages Exposed to Methamphetamine

Macrophages comprise a major component of the human innate immune system that is involved in maintaining homeostasis and responding to infections or other insults. Besides cytokines and chemokines, macrophages presumably influence the surrounding environment by secreting various types of metabolites. Characterization of secreted metabolites under normal and pathological conditions is critical for understanding the complex innate immune system. To investigate the secreted metabolome, we developed a novel workflow consisting of one Reverse Phase (RP) C18 column linked in tandem with a Cogent cholesterol-modified RP C18. This system was used to compare the secreted metabolomes of human monocyte-derived macrophages (hMDM) under normal conditions to those exposed to methamphetamine (Meth). This new experimental approach allowed us to measure 92 metabolites, identify 11 of them as differentially expressed, separate and identify three hydroxymethamphetamine (OHMA) isomers, and identify a new, yet unknown metabolite with a m/z of 192. This study is the first of its kind to address the secreted metabolomic response of hMDM to an insult by Meth. Besides the discovery of novel metabolites secreted by macrophages, we provide a novel methodology to investigate metabolomic profiling.

Cholesterol-based polymeric monolithic columns for capillary liquid chromatography. Part II

This paper presents a second part of our research devoted to cholesterol-based polymeric monolithic stationary phase. The obtained capillary columns were successfully used for separations of alkylbenzenes, steroid hormones and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during isocratic or gradient elutions. The columns showed excellent thermal stability. Increasing the temperature resulted in decrease of the retention factors and peak widths, but selectivity and efficient separations have been retained in the studied temperature range of 20 to100°C. Additionally, the van't Hoff model presented a non-linear relationship of lnk versus 1/T plots, which is likely the result of liquid crystal properties of cholesterol. The studied capillary monolithic columns showed extremely fast re-equilibration after gradient elution and found to be stable under such conditions as: fast flow rate, high acetonitrile content in the mobile phase (no swelling) and high temperature.

Selectivity-column temperature relationship as a new strategy in predicting separation of structural analogues in HPLC by using different stationary phases

The effect of changes in column temperature on van't Hoff equation, as well as relationship of separation and column temperature in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by using different stationary phases, have been discussed and compared.

Cholesterol-based polymeric monolithic columns for capillary liquid chromatography

A novel, cholesterol-based polymeric monolithic stationary phase for capillary liquid chromatography, was prepared by thermally initiated in-situ polymerization. Cholesteryl methacrylate (CholMA) was used as a functional monomer and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) was a cross-linker, while azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was an initiator. Isooctane and toluene were chosen as "poor" and "good" solvent, respectively, as constituents of the porogen solvent. Isocratic elutions of alkylbenzenes and separation of the testing mixture of o-terphenyl and triphenylene were conducted for all of the monoliths to assess their hydrophobicity and planar selectivity characteristic for cholesterol-based stationary phases. The synthesized columns demonstrated efficiency exceeding N=10,000 plates and a plate height of ca. H=30 μm. Column preparation was found to be highly reproducible; the relative standard deviation (RSD) values (n=3) for day-to-day and column-to-column were less than 4.08 and 2.02%, respectively, based on retention factor of alkylbenzenes.