Analysis of adenosine phosphates in HepG-2 cell by a HPLC-ESI-MS system with porous graphitic carbon as stationary phase

Design and Characterisation of pH-Responsive Photosensitiser-Loaded Nano-Transfersomes for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive and tumour-specific therapy. Photosensitizers (PSs) (essential ingredients in PDT) aggregate easily owing to their lipophilic properties. The aim of this study was to synthesise a PS (methyl pheophorbide a, MPa) and design a biocompatible lipid-based nanocarrier to improve its bioavailability and pharmacological effects. MPa-loaded nano-transfersomes were fabricated by sonication. The characteristics of synthesised PS and nano-transfersomes were assessed. The effects of PDT were evaluated by 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran assay and by measuring photo-cytotoxicity against HeLa and A549 cell lines. The mean particle size and zeta potential for nano-transfersomes ranged from 95.84 to 267.53 nm and −19.53 to −45.08 mV, respectively. Nano-transfersomes exhibited sustained drug release for 48 h in a physiological environment (as against burst release in an acidic environment), which enables its use as a pH-responsive drug release system in PDT with enhanced photodynamic activity and reduced side effects. The formulations showed light cytotoxicity, but no dark toxicity, which meant that light irradiation resulted in anti-cancer effects. Additionally, formulations with the smallest size exhibited photodynamic activity to a larger extent than those with the highest loading capacity or free MPa. These results suggest that our MPa-loaded nano-transfersome system is a promising anti-cancer strategy for PDT.

Determination of adenosine phosphates in mouse myocardium tissue by HPLC with UV detection and using porous graphite carbon column

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with UV detection was established and validated for the simultaneous determination of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in mouse myocardial tissues. After protein precipitation and compound extraction with pre-cooled perchloric acid and the supernatant was centrifuged with the pH value adjusted to 6.5-7.5, the analytes were separated on a porous graphitic carbon LC column (4.6 mm × 100 mm, 5 μm) using gradient elution with a mobile phase of 10 mmol/L borax solution, pH 9.18(A) and acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran (1:1, v/v) (B). The LC flow rate was 0.8 mL/min; the UV detection wavelength was 254 nm and the column temperature was maintained at 35 °C. ATP, ADP, and AMP were separated and the intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) of peak area repeatability were 1.3-2.5% (n = 6). The correlation coefficients of the linearity between UV responses and adenosine phosphate concentrations were larger than 0.9998 in all cases, within concentration ranges of 0.71-91.6 μg/mL for ATP, 1.3-81.5 μg/mL for ADP and 1.69-108.1 μg/mL for AMP. The limits of detection were within 0.17-0.21 μg/mL. The average standard substance spiked-in recoveries were 93.6-104.7% (n = 3). The established HPLC method was successfully applied to quantitate ATP, ADP, and AMP in mouse myocardial tissues.

Determination of ATP, ADP, and AMP Levels by Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography in Cultured Cells

Cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ signals couple cellular ATP production to activity-related energy demand. In order to accurately determine the bioenergetic effect of Ca²⁺ signals, cellular energy charge, i.e., the compound ratio of the phosphorylated adenine nucleotides AMP, ADP, and ATP, should be estimated. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) allows the rapid separation and quantitation of these molecules. Here we describe a protocol applied in our laboratories to quantify ATP, ADP, and AMP nucleotides in cellular extracts.

An HPLC method for the determination of adenosine diphosphate: An important marker of hexokinase activity in metabolic diseases

Hexokinases play a critical role in the cellular uptake and utilization of glucose. As such, they are of fundamental importance to all cells. By catalyzing glucose to produce glucose-6-phosphate, hexokinases control the first irreversible step of glucose metabolism and initiate all major pathways of glucose consumption. Our objective was to develop and validate highly sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA) assays allowing the determination of adenosine diphosphate, which was used for the determination of hexokinase activity. Samples were analyzed by HPLC-PDA using a C₁₈ analytical column (250 × 4.6 mm) for chromatographic separation. Optimal detection was achieved based on isocratic elution with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of sodium phosphate monobasic buffer and methanol. This method met all of the requirements of specificity, sensitivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and stability generally accepted in bioanalytical chemistry and was successfully applied to a study of hexokinase activity in an alloxan-induced diabetic rat model. Determination of hexokinase activity will permit characterization of cellular metabolic state in many diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.

Fluorous-assisted metal chelate affinity extraction for nucleotides followed by HILIC-MS/MS analysis

We herein developed a selective method for the determination of nucleotides by fluorous-assisted metal chelate affinity extraction followed by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) combined with tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) analysis. In this study, the nucleotides were selectively chelated by Fe(III)-immobilized perfluoroalkyliminodiacetic acid, and the resulting chelates were subsequently extracted into a fluorous solvent. The nucleotides present in the fluorous solvent were then back-extracted into a non-fluorous solution, such as a solution of ammonia in aqueous acetonitrile. The resulting non-fluorous solution containing the nucleotides was then directly injected into an amide-type HILIC column using a mixture of acetonitrile and aqueous ammonium bicarbonate as the mobile phase for gradient elution, and the nucleotides were detected using the negative electrospray ionization MS/MS mode. In this method, the extraction recoveries of the nucleotides ranged from 43.2 to 94.7% within a relative standard deviation of 17%. This method enabled the determination of intracellular concentrations of nucleotides.

Quantifying the cellular NAD+ metabolome using a tandem liquid chromatography mass spectrometry approach

INTRODUCTION

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is an essential pyridine nucleotide that serves as a key hydride transfer coenzyme for several oxidoreductases. It is also the substrate for intracellular secondary messenger signalling by CD38 glycohydrolases, DNA repair by poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase, and epigenetic regulation of gene expression by a class of histone deacetylase enzymes known as sirtuins. The measurement of NAD⁺ and its related metabolites (hereafter, the NAD⁺ metabolome) represents an important indicator of cellular function.

OBJECTIVES

A study was performed to develop a sensitive, selective, robust, reproducible, and rapid method for the concurrent quantitative determination of intracellular levels of the NAD⁺ metabolome in glial and oocyte cell extracts using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).

METHODS

The metabolites were separated on a versatile amino column using a dual HILIC-RP gradient with heated electrospray (HESI) tandem mass spectrometry detection in mixed polarity multiple reaction monitoring mode.

RESULTS

Quantification of 17 metabolites in the NAD⁺ metabolome in U251 human astroglioma cells could be achieved. Changes in NAD⁺ metabolism in U251 cell line, and murine oocytes under different culture conditions were also investigated.

CONCLUSION

This method can be used as a sensitive profiling tool, tailoring chromatography for metabolites that express significant pathophysiological changes in several disease conditions and is indispensable for targeted analysis.

Quantification of DNA in Neonatal Dried Blood Spots by Adenine Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Newborn screening programs have expanded to include molecular-based assays as first-tier tests and the success of these assays depends on the quality and yield of DNA extracted from neonatal dried blood spots (DBS). To meet high throughput and rapid turnaround time requirements, newborn screening laboratories adopted rapid DNA extraction methods that produce crude extracts. Quantification of DNA in neonatal DBS is not routinely performed due to technical challenges; however, this may enhance the performance of assays that are sensitive to amounts of input DNA. In this study, we developed a novel high throughput method to quantify total DNA in DBS. It is based on specific acid-catalyzed depurination of DNA followed by mass spectrometric quantification of adenine. The amount of adenine was used to calculate DNA quantity per 3.2 mm DBS. Reference intervals were established using archived, neonatal DBS (n = 501) and a median of 130.6 ng of DNA per DBS was obtained, which is in agreement with literature values. The intra- and interday variations were <15%. The limits of detection and quantification were 12.5 and 37.8 nmol/L adenine, respectively. We demonstrated that DNA from neonatal DBS can be successfully quantified in high throughput settings using instruments currently deployed in NBS laboratories.

A sensitive method for the separation and quantification of low-level adenine nucleotides using porous graphitic carbon-based liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography coupled to heated electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HESI-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of low nanomolar level adenine nucleotides AMP, ADP, ATP, cyclic AMP (cAMP), and the nucleoside adenosine. For analyte retention and separation, reverse phase chromatography using porous graphitic carbon (PGC) was employed as it provided full resolution. The erratic chromatographic behaviour characteristic of PGC, including deterioration of analyte resolution and increased peak tailing (leading to decreased sensitivity), was mitigated by incorporating acidic equilibration within runs using a quaternary gradient. Analyte resolution and chromatographic sensitivity were still lost after a period of column inactivity; hence a pre-conditioning protocol was implemented between batches to regenerate the column. These column regeneration measures also allowed elution of AMP, ADP and ATP in the sequence of mono- to tri- nucleotides, differing from conventional reverse phase elution where analytes elute with decreasing polarity. This nucleotide elution sequence has the advantage of overcoming potential mis-annotation and inaccurate quantification of smaller nucleotides caused by in-source fragmentation of ATP. The method was validated in granulosa cell conditioned media, with the LLOQs ranging between 10-50nM for most analytes. To verify the method using biological samples, nucleotide secretion was measured in granulosa cell conditioned media under various treatments known to alter their levels. Moreover, the method was applied to cumulus-oocyte complex cell lysates to examine its linearity in a complex matrix.

Metabolomic signature of brain cancer

Despite advances in surgery and adjuvant therapy, brain tumors represent one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality and morbidity in both adults and children. Gliomas constitute about 60% of all cerebral tumors, showing varying degrees of malignancy. They are difficult to treat due to dismal prognosis and limited therapeutics. Metabolomics is the untargeted and targeted analyses of endogenous and exogenous small molecules, which charact erizes the phenotype of an individual. This emerging "omics" science provides functional readouts of cellular activity that contribute greatly to the understanding of cancer biology including brain tumor biology. Metabolites are highly informative as a direct signature of biochemical activity; therefore, metabolite profiling has become a promising approach for clinical diagnostics and prognostics. The metabolic alterations are well-recognized as one of the key hallmarks in monitoring disease progression, therapy, and revealing new molecular targets for effective therapeutic intervention. Taking advantage of the latest high-throughput analytical technologies, that is, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS), metabolomics is now a promising field for precision medicine and drug discovery. In the present report, we review the application of metabolomics and in vivo metabolic profiling in the context of adult gliomas and paediatric brain tumors. Analytical platforms such as high-resolution (HR) NMR, in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging and high- and low-resolution MS are discussed. Moreover, the relevance of metabolic studies in the development of new therapeutic strategies for treatment of gliomas are reviewed.

Evaluation of cellular purine transport and metabolism in the Caco-2 cell using comprehensive high-performance liquid chromatography method for analysis of purines

Using Caco-2 cells and our previously developed high-performance liquid chromatography method for quantification of purine bases, nucleosides, and nucleotides, we evaluated cellular purine transport and uptake. The analytes were separated using YMC-Triart C18 column with gradient elution. We used Caco-2 cells as intestinal model cells and monitored purine transport across a monolayer for 2 h. The degree of change of purine concentrations in the permeate was very slight; however, it was possible to simultaneously determine these parameters for all purines because of our method's high sensitivity. In the present study, the purine bases (adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine) showed a relatively high permeability as compared with the nucleosides (adenosine, guanosine, inosine, and xanthosine). Increased concentration of metabolites in the permeate was also observed following the addition of purines. In a cell uptake assay, both the cell culture medium (extracellular) and the cells extracted from Caco-2 with acetonitrile:water (7:3) (intracellular) were measured. The additional nucleoside did not increase significantly within the cells. On the other hand, we observed that nucleotide, such as ATP, increased in the cell in a time-dependent manner following the addition of nucleoside. The additional nucleosides were considered to be rather recycled via the salvage pathway than metabolized to purine bases and/or uric acid in the cell. Such differences might have affected the increase in the serum uric acid levels depending on purine form.

Understanding the Complexity of Porous Graphitic Carbon (PGC) Chromatography: Modulation of Mobile-Stationary Phase Interactions Overcomes Loss of Retention and Reduces Variability

Porous graphitic carbon (PGC) is an important tool in a chromatographer's armory that retains polar compounds with mass spectrometry (MS)-compatible solvents. However, its applicability is severely limited by an unpredictable loss of retention, which can be attributed to contamination. The solutions offered fail to restore the original retention and our observations of retention time shifts of gemcitabine/metabolites on PGC are not consistent with contamination. The mobile phase affects the ionization state of analytes and the polarizable PGC surface that influences the strength of dispersive forces governing retention on the stationary phase. We hypothesized that failure to maintain the same PGC surface before and after running a gradient is a cause of the observed retention loss/variability on PGC. Herein, we optimize the choice of mobile phase solvent in a gradient program with three parts: a preparatory phase, which allows binding of analytes to column; an elution phase, which gives the required separation/peak shape; and a maintenance phase, to preserve the required retention capacity. Via liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of gemcitabine and its metabolites extracted from tumor tissue, we demonstrate reproducible chromatography on three PGC columns of different ages. This approach simplifies use of the PGC to the same level as that of a C-18 column, removes the need for column regeneration, and minimizes run times, thus allowing PGC columns to be used to their full potential.

Analysis of Intra- and Extracellular Levels of Purine Bases, Nucleosides, and Nucleotides in HepG2 Cells by High-performance Liquid Chromatography

To evaluate cellular uptake and purine transport, we developed a high-performance liquid chromatography method for intra- and extracellular purine quantification. Our aim was to develop an effective method for simultaneously quantifying the substrate and metabolites with high sensitivity. C18 columns from different manufacturers were tested for simultaneous quantification of 22 different purine bases, nucleosides, and nucleotides. We used a YMC-Triart C18 column. The analysis conditions, including extraction solutions for the cells and cell culture medium, were optimized to achieve good quantification. Linearity, accuracy, determination limits, and recovery were assessed and showed good performance. The developed HPLC method was successfully applied to the qualitative analysis of 22 different intra- and extracellular purines, demonstrating that it is useful for studying the overall pattern of purine metabolism. This method could also be useful for evaluating metabolic dynamics of purines under a variety of stimulatory conditions of culture cells.

HFS-Triggered AMPK Activation Phosphorylates GSK3β and Induces E-LTP in Rat Hippocampus In Vivo

BACKGROUND

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy and nutrient status, with substantial amount of cross talk with other signaling pathways, including its phosphorylation by Akt, PKA, and GSK3β.

AIMS

Various signaling pathways and energy-consuming transport of glutamate receptors subunits are required in synaptic plasticity. However, it is unknown which energy sensors integrate the signaling pathways in these processes. In this article, we elucidated the role of AMPK activation and GSK3β phosphorylation after HFS during the inducement of early-phase long-term potentiation (E-LTP).

METHODS

Synaptic LTP in vivo was induced by high-frequency stimulation (HFS at 200 Hz at a 5-s interval). In addition, phosphorylation of AMPK and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) were measured using Western blotting. The amount of hippocampal AMP, ADP and ATP was measured by HPLC.

RESULTS

We showed that the phosphorylation of AMPK and GSK3β was significantly increased by HFS in vivo. HFS-induced AMPK activation occurred via increased (AMP + ADP)/ATP ratio and activation of Ca(2+) /calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase beta (CaMKKβ). Pharmacological inhibition of AMPK by compound C (CC) prevented HFS-induced inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3β and the induction of LTP in dentate gyrus (DG) area in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reveal that HFS-triggered AMPK activation phosphorylates GSK3β and induces E-LTP in vivo.

p-Coumaric acid, a novel and effective biomarker for quantifying hypoxic stress by HILIC-ESI-MS

In this study, we report p-coumaric acid as novel and effective response marker for indirectly measuring the levels of hypoxia in normal primary bronchial epithelial cells. We developed a simple and rapid technique based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HILIC-ESI-MS). During 168h of hypoxia without induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), an almost linear increase of p-coumaric acid levels was observed. We interpret the increasing p-coumaric acid concentrations during hypoxia as a result of cell damage, triggered by reduced co-enzyme Q10 levels, because the oxidative cascade was not able to supply sufficient energy. The HILIC-ESI-MS assay within p-coumaric acid exhibited a linear dynamic range from 60 to 610 ng/μL with correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The precision of the assay was ≤15% RSD and method accuracies between 97 and 108%.

Use of designed experiments for the improvement of pre-analytical workflow for the quantification of intracellular nucleotides in cultured cell lines

The present study is focused on the development of a pre-analytical strategy for the quantification of intracellular nucleotides from cultured cell lines. Different protocols, including cell recovery, nucleotide extraction and purification, were compared on a panel of nucleoside mono-, di- and triphosphates from four cell lines (adherent and suspension cells). The quantification of nucleotides was performed using a validated technique with on-line solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Designed experiments were implemented to investigate, in a rigorous and limited-testing experimental approach, the influence of several operating parameters. Results showed that the technique used to harvest adherent cells drastically affected the amounts of intracellular nucleotides. Scraping cells was deleterious because of a major leakage (more than 70%) of intracellular nucleotides during scraping. Moreover, some other tested conditions should be avoided, such as using pure methanol as extraction solvent (decrease over 50% of intracellular nucleotides extracted from NCI-H292 cells) or adding a purification step with chloroform. Designed experiments allowed identifying an interaction between the percentage of methanol and the presence of chloroform. The mixture methanol/water (70/30, v/v) was considered as the best compromise according to the nucleoside mono-, di-, or triphosphates and the four cell lines studied. This work highlights the importance of pre-analytical step combined with the cell lines studied associated to sensitive and validated assay for the quantification of nucleotides in biological matrices.

Poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-N-methylolacrylamide-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of adenosine phosphates in royal jelly

A polymer monolith microextraction method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed for the determination of adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, and adenosine monophosphate. The monolithic column was synthesized inside fused-silica capillaries using thermal initiation free-radical polymerization with glycidyl methacrylate as the monomer, ethylene dimethacrylate as the cross-linker, cyclohexanol, and 1-dodecanol as the porogen. N-Methylolacrylamide, an important hydrophilic monomer, was incorporated into the polymerization mixture to enhance the hydrophilicity of the poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) column. The obtained poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-N-methylolacrylamide-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Optimum conditions for the preconcentration and separation of the target adenosines were also investigated. Under the optimum conditions, we obtained acceptable linearities, low limits of detection, and good relative standard deviations. The developed polymer monolith microextraction with high-performance liquid chromatography method exhibited a good performance with recovery values in the range of 76.9-104.7% when applied to the determination of the adenosines in five royal jelly samples.

Simultaneous determination of creatine phosphate, creatine and 12 nucleotides in rat heart by LC-MS/MS

A simple, rapid and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of creatine phosphate (CP), creatine (Cr) and 12 nucleotides in rat heart. The analytes, ATP, ADP, AMP, GTP, GDP, GMP, CTP, CDP, CMP, UTP, UDP, UMP, CP, Cr, were extracted from heart tissue with pre-cooled (0°C) methanol/water (1:1, v/v) and separated on a Hypersil Gold AQ C18 column (150mm×4.6mm, 3μm) using an isocratic elution with a mobile phase consisting of 2mmol/L ammonium acetate in water (pH 10.0, adjusted with ammonia). The detection was performed by negative ion electrospray ionization in selective reaction monitoring mode (SRM). In the assay, all the analytes showed good linearity over the investigated concentration range (r>0.99). The accuracy was between 80.7% and 120.6% and the precision expressed in RSD was less than 15.6%. This method was successfully applied to measure the concentrations of the 12 nucleotides, creatine phosphate and creatine in rat heart for the first time.

Fully validated assay for the quantification of endogenous nucleoside mono- and triphosphates using online extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

An analytical method coupling online solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed to quantify 16 endogenous nucleoside mono- and triphosphates in cellular samples. Separation was achieved on a porous graphitic carbon (PGC) column without ion-pairing agent in the mobile phase. Low levels of the ion-pairing agent diethylamine (DEA) added to the reconstitution solution were necessary to prevent peak tailing of nucleoside triphosphates. The mass spectrometer, a triple quadrupole with an electrospray ionisation source, was operated in positive mode. Two multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) segments were programmed, each an internal standard. Extraction and separation of nucleoside mono- and triphosphates were obtained within 20 min. The total duration of a single run was 37 min. Calibration curves, performed with labelled nucleotides added to the sample matrix, ranged from 0.29 to 18.8 pmol injected for deoxyribonucleotides and from 3.9 to 3,156 pmol for ribonucleotides. Accuracy did not deviate more than -14.6 and 10.2 % from nominal values for all compounds at all levels. CV results were all lower than 17.0 % for the LLOQ level and 14.6 % for the other levels. Quality control (QC) samples were also in agreement with acceptance criteria, except for the lower QC of GMP. Ion suppression, matrix effect, extraction recoveries and stability were assessed. After validation, the method was applied to the evaluation of the effects of gemcitabine and hydroxyurea on nucleotide pools in Messa cells.

Chemical and technical challenges in the analysis of central carbon metabolites by liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry

This review deals with chemical and technical challenges in the analysis of small-molecule metabolites involved in central carbon and energy metabolism via liquid-chromatography mass-spectrometry (LC-MS). The covered analytes belong to the prominent pathways in biochemical carbon oxidation such as glycolysis or the tricarboxylic acid cycle and, for the most part, share unfavorable properties such as a high polarity, chemical instability or metal-affinity. The topic is introduced by selected examples on successful applications of metabolomics in the clinic. In the core part of the paper, the structural features of important analyte classes such as nucleotides, coenzyme A thioesters or carboxylic acids are linked to "problematic hotspots" along the analytical chain (sample preparation and-storage, separation and detection). We discuss these hotspots from a chemical point of view, covering issues such as analyte degradation or interactions with metals and other matrix components. Based on this understanding we propose solutions wherever available. A major notion derived from these considerations is that comprehensive carbon metabolomics inevitably requires multiple, complementary analytical approaches covering different chemical classes of metabolites.

Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric detection of biomolecules by using functional single-walled carbon nanohorns as the matrix

A surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric (SALDI-TOF MS) method was developed for the analysis of small biomolecules by using functional single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) as matrix. The functional SWNHs could transfer energy to the analyte under laser irradiation for accelerating its desorption and ionization, which led to low matrix effect, avoided fragmentation of the analyte, and provided high salt tolerance. Biomolecules including amino acids, peptides, and fatty acids could successfully be analyzed with about 3- and 5-fold higher signals than those obtained using conventional matrix. By integrating the advantages of SWNHs and the recognition ability of aptamers, a selective approach was proposed for simultaneous capture, enrichment, ionization, and MS detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This method showed a greatly improved detection limit (1.0 μM) for the analysis of ATP in complex biological samples. This newly designed protocol not only opened a new application of SWNHs, but also offered a new technique for selective MS analysis of biomolecules based on aptamer recognition systems.

Simultaneous determination of adenine nucleotides, creatine phosphate and creatine in rat liver by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

A high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometric method (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneous determination of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), creatine phosphate (CP), and creatine in rat liver. After extraction with pre-cooled (4 °C) methanol/water (1:1, v/v), the analytes were separated on a porous graphitic carbon (Hypercarb) column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm) using a programmed gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate in water and 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate in acetonitrile (pH=10.0). The analytes were detected in a way of multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) under negative scan mode by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization (ESI). An external calibration method with linear ranges from 10 to 5000 ng/mL for the five target compounds was used for quantification with a correlation coefficients≥0.9973. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for all analytes were in ranges from 0.50 to 1.5 ng/mL and 1.6 to 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. The average recoveries spiked in three levels were from 77.2% to 102% and precisions expressed in RSDs were from 0.2% to 4.8%. The established method was successfully applied to determination of ATP, ADP, AMP, CP and creatine in liver tissue.

A novel method for quantification of gemcitabine and its metabolites 2',2'-difluorodeoxyuridine and gemcitabine triphosphate in tumour tissue by LC-MS/MS: comparison with (19)F NMR spectroscopy

PURPOSE

To develop a sensitive analytical method to quantify gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine, dFdC) and its metabolites 2',2'-difluorodeoxyuridine (dFdU) and 2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine-5'-triphosphate (dFdCTP) simultaneously from tumour tissue.

METHODS

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumour tissue from genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic cancer (KP ( FL/FL ) C and KP ( R172H/+) C) was collected after dosing the mice with gemcitabine. (19)F NMR spectroscopy and LC-MS/MS protocols were optimised to detect gemcitabine and its metabolites in homogenates of the tumour tissue.

RESULTS

A (19)F NMR protocol was developed, which was capable of distinguishing the three analytes in tumour homogenates. However, it required at least 100 mg of the tissue in question and a long acquisition time per sample, making it impractical for use in large PK/PD studies or clinical trials. The LC-MS/MS protocol was developed using porous graphitic carbon to separate the analytes, enabling simultaneous detection of all three analytes from as little as 10 mg of tissue, with a sensitivity for dFdCTP of 0.2 ng/mg tissue. Multiple pieces of tissue from single tumours were analysed, showing little intra-tumour variation in the concentrations of dFdC or dFdU (both intra- and extra-cellular). Intra-tumoural variation was observed in the concentration of dFdCTP, an intra-cellular metabolite, which may reflect regions of different cellularity within a tumour.

CONCLUSION

We have developed a sensitive LC-MS/MS method capable of quantifying gemcitabine, dFdU and dFdCTP in pancreatic tumour tissue. The requirement for only 10 mg of tissue enables this protocol to be used to analyse multiple areas from a single tumour and to spare tissue for additional pharmacodynamic assays.

Mass spectrometry in the quantitative analysis of therapeutic intracellular nucleotide analogs

Nucleoside analogs are widely used in anti-cancer, anti-(retro)viral, and immunosuppressive therapy. Nucleosides are prodrugs that require intracellular activation to mono-, di-, and finally triphosphates. Monitoring of these intracellular nucleotides is important to understand their pharmacology. The relatively involatile salts and ion-pairing agents traditionally used for the separation of these ionic analytes limit the applicability of mass spectrometry (MS) for detection. Both indirect and direct methods have been developed to circumvent this apparent incompatibility. Indirect methods consist of de-phosphorylation of the nucleotides into nucleosides before the actual analysis. Various direct approaches have been developed, ranging from the use of relatively volatile or very low levels of regular ion-pairing agents, hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC), weak anion-exchange, or porous graphitic carbon columns to capillary electrophoresis and matrix-assisted light desorption--time of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS. In this review we present an overview of the publications describing the quantitative analysis of therapeutic intracellular nucleotide analogs using MS. The focus is on the different approaches for their direct analysis. We conclude that despite the technical hurdles, several useful MS-compatible chromatographic approaches have been developed, enabling the use of the excellent selectivity and sensitivity of MS for the quantitative analysis of intracellular nucleotides.

Nucleotide and nucleotide sugar analysis by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry on surface-conditioned porous graphitic carbon

We examined the analysis of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars by chromatography on porous graphitic carbon with mass spectrometric detection, a method that evades contamination of the MS instrument with ion pairing reagent. At first, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and other triphosphate nucleotides exhibited very poor chromatographic behavior on new columns and could hardly be eluted from columns previously cleaned with trifluoroacetic acid. Satisfactory performance of both new and older columns could, however, be achieved by treatment with reducing agent and, unexpectedly, hydrochloric acid. Over 40 nucleotides could be detected in cell extracts including many isobaric compounds such as ATP, deoxyguanosine diphosphate (dGTP), and phospho-adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate or 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and its much more abundant isomer 2′,3′-cylic AMP. A fast sample preparation procedure based on solid-phase extraction on carbon allowed detection of very short-lived analytes such as cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP)-2-keto-deoxy-octulosonic acid. In animal cells and plant tissues, about 35 nucleotide sugars were detected, among them rarely considered metabolites such as uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-l-arabinopyranose, UDP-l-arabinofuranose, guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP)-l-galactofuranose, UDP-l-rhamnose, and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-sugars. Surprisingly, UDP-arabinopyranose was also found in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Due to the unique structural selectivity of graphitic carbon, the method described herein distinguishes more nucleotides and nucleotide sugars than previously reported approaches.

Aqueous normal phase retention of nucleotides on silica hydride-based columns: method development strategies for analytes relevant in clinical analysis

An aqueous normal phase HPLC method coupled with UV or ESI/MS detection was used for the determination of a wide variety of nucleotides, essential in metabolomics studies. Fifteen nucleotides were tested in clinically relevant mixtures at levels of 100 microg/mL for UV detection and 1 microg/mL for ESI-MS detection. Analysis times for all protocols developed were less than 20 min. The chromatographic conditions were changed to achieve optimized retention and separation of the nucleotides studied. The aqueous normal phase-HPLC methods were developed utilizing two columns, one having a minimally modified hydride surface another having an undecanoic acid moiety on a hydride surface. Volatile, low ionic strength mobile phases were used. Negative ion mode ESI-MS at near neutral pH mobile phase, combined with a TOF detector provided a highly sensitive and specific method, which is equally suitable for quadrupole and ion trap instruments.

Liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of endogenous nucleotides and nucleotide analogs used in cancer therapy: a review

Endogenous ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides play a crucial role in cell function. The determination of their levels is of fundamental interest in numerous applications such as energy metabolism, biochemical processes, or in understanding the mechanism of nucleoside analog compounds. Nucleoside analogs are widely used in anticancer therapy. Their mechanisms of action are related to their structural similarity with natural nucleotides. Numerous assays have been described for the determination of endogenous nucleotides or anticancer nucleotide analogs in different matrices such as cellular cultures, tissue or peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The determination of these compounds is challenging due to the large difference of concentrations between ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides, the presence of numerous endogenous interferences in complex matrices and the high polarity of the molecules due to the phosphate moiety. The extraction was generally performed at low temperature and was based on protein precipitation using acid or solvent mixture. This first phase could be coupled with extraction or cleaning step of the supernatant. Liquid chromatography coupled with UV detection and based on ion-exchange chromatography using non-volatile high salt concentrations was largely described for the quantification of nucleotides. However, the development of LC-MS and LC-MS/MS during the last ten years has constituted a sensitive and specific tool. In this case, analytical column was mostly constituted by graphite or C18 stationary phase. Mobile phase was usually based on a mixture of ammonium buffer and acetonitrile and in several assays included a volatile ion-pairing agent. Mass spectrometry detection was performed either with positive or negative electrospray mode according to compounds and mobile phase components. The purpose of the current review is to provide an overview of the most recent chromatographic assays (over the past ten years) developed for the determination of endogenous nucleotides and nucleotide analogs used in cancer therapy. We focused on sample preparation, chromatographic separation and quantitative considerations.