Measurement of opioid peptides with combinations of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, radioimmunoassay, radioreceptorassay, and mass spectrometry

Monitoring the neuropeptide metabolites by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The developments of bio-analytical methods for analyzing bioactive peptides are of paramount importance. Neuropeptides and their bioactive fragments play a vital role in the regulation of many biological processes and diseases. This paper presents the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) method for monitoring neuropeptides along with their degradation products in plasma samples from cancer patients. The neuropeptides focused in this study were beta-endrophin, substance P, and bradykinin. The method involves the enzyme digestion of the neuroactive peptides followed by MALDI-MS sample preparation and subsequent acquisition of the MS spectral data. The mass spectral profile identifies most of the C-terminal and N-terminal peptides, and the mass accuracy was in the range of -1.68 to 1.46 Da with the mass spectrometer utilised. Analysis of the neuropeptide degradation patterns from the cancer patients were compared with the controls showed similar results. The study reveals that this approach can be used to identify the enzymatic digestion products of protein.

Plasma neuropeptide Y in patients with major depressive disorder

It has been suggested that neuropeptide Y (NPY) is involved in the pathophysiology of depression. Plasma peptide-rich fraction from patients with major depressive disorder and control subjects was eluted with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), followed by radioimmunoassay of NPY. The screening patterns of the NPY-like immunoreactivity in 50 fractions eluted by HPLC from the plasma peptide-rich fraction were different between the two groups. The values of NPY in the 16 controls and the 14 patients were 427 +/- 38 and 310 +/- 27 fmol/ml plasma (P < 0.05), respectively. These results suggest that impaired metabolism of plasma NPY and the reduced plasma NPY in patients with major depressive disorder could be involved in the pathogenesis or pathophysiology of major depressive disorder.

Metabolic profile of opioid peptides differs in the hippocampus and striatum of seizure-susceptible E1 mice

We previously suggested that a deficit of anticonvulsant endogenous methionine enkephalin, in the cerebral cortex, septal area, hippocampus, and striatum of seizure-susceptible El mice plays a role in the pathogenesis of seizures. To determine whether a hypofunction of enkephalinergic neuron may be due to metabolic abnormalities of opioid peptides in the El mouse brain, we measured methionine enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (ME-LI) of 50 fractions eluted by high performance liquid chromatography obtained from those four regions of the brain of El and seizure-nonsusceptible ddY mice (the mother strain of El mice). We observed the same ME-LI patterns of 50 fractions in the cerebral cortex and septal area in El and ddY mice, whereas exhibited differing ME-LI patterns in the hippocampus and striatum in the two stains. Different ME-LI patterns may imply the difference in the metabolic profile of opioid peptides. Thus, an abnormal metabolism of opioid peptides in the hippocampus and striatum of the El mouse may be involved in the pathogenesis of seizures.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of intrathecally administered [D-Ala2-D-Leu5]-enkephalin concentrations in canine cerebrospinal fluid

A rapid and useful method for high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of exogenous [D-Ala2-D-Leu5]-enkephalin (DADLE) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is described. CSF (0.5 ml) samples were filtered using a 0.22-micron Co-Star filter. Chromatography was performed on a mu Bondapak C18 column using a mobile phase of A, 0.05 M sodium phosphate (monobasic, pH 6.0) and B, 60% acetonitrile in 0.05 M sodium phosphate (pH 6.0) with a flow-rate of 1 ml/min. Absorbance at 210 nm was measured. The procedure produced a linear curve for the concentration range 1-10 micrograms/ml. The development of the assay produced rapid, repeatable and accurate results for CSF analysis of DADLE at concentrations achieved with therapeutic administration of the peptide. This method could also be used in the future for analysis of compounds like DADLE.

Methodological aspects of quantitative receptor assays

Receptor assays occupy a particular position in the methods used in bioanalysis, as they do not exploit the physico-chemical properties of the analyte. These assays make use of the property of the analyte to bind to the specific binding site (receptor) and to competitively replace a labelled ligand from the same binding site. The amount of labelled ligand replaced is a measure of the amount as well as the affinity of the analyte. Thus, receptor assays offer additional information about the biological (pharmacological) activity of the analyte by distinguishing the compounds on the basis of their specific binding rather than specific molecular structure (chromatographic and non-chromatographic methods). This paper, starting with the general principles of receptor-ligand interaction, focuses on the application of ligand-binding techniques to the quantitative analysis. The factors which influence the sensitivity and the specificity of quantitative receptor assays, as well as the main directions in the improvement of the receptor preparation by using the solubilized and purified receptor are discussed. In order to enhance the use of these assays in routine practice, the development of solid-phase receptor assays is considered.

A new fluorogenic assay for tyrosine-containing peptides

A new tyrosine-specific LC assay with pre-column fluorogenic derivatization is described for Tyr-Gly as model peptide. o-Hydroxylation of the tyrosine residue with tyrosinase in the presence of ascorbic acid, followed by oxidation to the corresponding quinone by potassium ferricyanide at room temperature and condensation with 1,2-diamino-1,2-diphenylethane in the presence of acetonitrile gave a highly fluorescent species. The resulting fluorescence signal was stable over the investigated period of 5 h and exhibited a linear response curve on a reversed-phase LC system. Under optimized reaction conditions, the lower limit of detection for Tyr-Gly was 200 fmol per injection. Examination of a series of dipeptides (L-Tyr-L-X; X = Gly, Ala, Val, Leu, Phe) showed no significant influence of neighbouring amino acids on the enzymatic hydroxylation by tyrosinase. This and the formation of a highly fluorescent signal for Leu-enkephalin suggests the general feasibility of the approach for the determination of tyrosine-containing peptides.

Determination of leucine enkephalin and methionine enkephalin in equine cerebrospinal fluid by microbore high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

The performance of microbore high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis, both equipped with on-line tandem mass spectrometric detection capability, was evaluated critically for the determination of endogenous amounts of leucine enkephalin and methionine enkephalin in equine cerebrospinal fluid. Using an identical sample clean-up and enrichment procedure, capillary zone electrophoresis-mass spectrometry is limited in its concentration detection capacity owing to its much smaller injection volume. Leucine enkephalin was identified in post-mortem equine cerebrospinal fluid at the 1-5 ng/ml level by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.