Staphylococcus aureus counters organic acid anion-mediated inhibition of peptidoglycan cross-linking through robust alanine racemase activity.

Weak organic acids are commonly found in host niches colonized by bacteria, and they can inhibit bacterial growth as the environment becomes acidic. This inhibition is often attributed to the toxicity resulting from the accumulation of high concentrations of organic anions in the cytosol, which disrupts cellular homeostasis. However, the precise cellular targets that organic anions poison and the mechanisms used to counter organic anion intoxication in bacteria have not been elucidated. Here, we utilize acetic acid, a weak organic acid abundantly found in the gut to investigate its impact on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. We demonstrate that acetate anions bind to and inhibit d-alanyl-d-alanine ligase (Ddl) activity in S. aureus. Ddl inhibition reduces intracellular d-alanyl-d-alanine (d-Ala-d-Ala) levels, compromising staphylococcal peptidoglycan cross-linking and cell wall integrity. To overcome the effects of acetate-mediated Ddl inhibition, S. aureus maintains a high intracellular d-Ala pool through alanine racemase (Alr1) activity and additionally limits the flux of d-Ala to d-glutamate by controlling d-alanine aminotransferase (Dat) activity. Surprisingly, the modus operandi of acetate intoxication in S. aureus is common to multiple biologically relevant weak organic acids indicating that Ddl is a conserved target of small organic anions. These findings suggest that S. aureus may have evolved to maintain high intracellular d-Ala concentrations, partly to counter organic anion intoxication.

Host autophagy is exploited by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii to enhance amino acids levels.

Toxoplasma gondii, a widespread parasite, has the ability to infect nearly any nucleated cell in warm-blooded vertebrates. It is estimated that around 2 billion people globally have been infected by this pathogen. Although most healthy individuals can effectively control parasite replication, certain parasites may evade the immune response, establishing cysts in the brain that are refractory to the immune system and resistance to available drugs. For its chronic persistence in the brain, the parasite relies on host cells' nutrients, particularly amino acids and lipids. Therefore, understanding how latent parasites persist in the brain is crucial for identifying potential drug targets against chronic forms. While shielded within parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) or cysts, Toxoplasma exploits the host endoplasmic reticulum (ER) metabolism to sustains its persistence in the brain, resulting in host neurological alterations. In this study, we demonstrate that T. gondii disrupts the host ER homeostasis, resulting in accumulation of unfolded protein with the host ER. The host counters this stress by initiating an autophagic pathway known as ER-phagy, which breaks down unfolded proteins into amino acids, promoting their recycling. Remarkably, the persistence of latent forms in cell culture as well as behavioral changes in mice caused by the latent infection could be successfully reversed by restricting the availability of various amino acids during T. gondi infection. Our findings unveil the underlying mechanisms employed by T. gondii to exploit host ER and lysosomal pathways, enhancing nutrient levels during infection. These insights provide new strategies for the treatment of toxoplasmosis. Importance: Intracellular parasites employ several mechanisms to manipulate the cellular environment, enabling them to persist in the host. Toxoplasma gondii , a single-celled parasite, possesses the ability to infect virtually any nucleated cell of warm-blooded vertebrates, including nearly 2 billion people worldwide. Unfortunately, existing treatments and immune responses are not entirely effective in eliminating the chronic persisting forms of the parasite. This study reveals that T. gondii induces the host's autophagic pathway to boost amino acid levels in infected cells. The depletion of amino acids, in turn, influences the persistence of the parasite's chronic forms, resulting in a reduction of neurological alterations caused by chronic infection in mice. Significantly, our investigation establishes the crucial role of host ER-phagy in the parasite's persistence within the host during latent infection.

PGC-1ß and ERRα Promote Glutamine Metabolism and Colorectal Cancer Survival via Transcriptional Upregulation of PCK2.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma, Coactivator 1 Beta (PGC-1ß) and Estrogen-Related Receptor Alpha (ERRα) are over-expressed in colorectal cancer and promote tumor survival. METHODS: In this study, we use immunoprecipitation of epitope tagged endogenous PGC-1ß and inducible PGC-1ß mutants to show that amino acid motif LRELL on PGC-1ß is responsible for the physical interaction with ERRα and promotes ERRα mRNA and protein expression. We use RNAsequencing to determine the genes regulated by both PGC-1ß & ERRα and find that mitochondrial Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase 2 (PCK2) is the gene that decreased most significantly after depletion of both genes. RESULTS: Depletion of PCK2 in colorectal cancer cells was sufficient to reduce anchorage-independent growth and inhibit glutamine utilization by the TCA cycle. Lastly, shRNA-mediated depletion of ERRα decreased anchorage-independent growth and glutamine metabolism, which could not be rescued by plasmid derived expression of PCK2. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that transcriptional control of PCK2 is one mechanism used by PGC-1ß and ERRα to promote glutamine metabolism and colorectal cancer cell survival.

Transient Glycolytic Complexation of Arsenate Enhances Resistance in the Enteropathogen Vibrio cholerae.

The ubiquitous presence of toxic arsenate (AsV) in the environment has raised mechanisms of resistance in all living organisms. Generally, bacterial detoxification of AsV relies on its reduction to arsenite (AsIII) by ArsC, followed by the export of AsIII by ArsB. However, how pathogenic species resist this metalloid remains largely unknown. Here, we found that Vibrio cholerae, the etiologic agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, outcompetes other enteropathogens when grown on millimolar concentrations of AsV. To do so, V. cholerae uses, instead of ArsCB, the AsV-inducible vc1068-1071 operon (renamed var for vibrio arsenate resistance), which encodes the arsenate repressor ArsR, an alternative glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, a putative phosphatase, and the AsV transporter ArsJ. In addition to Var, V. cholerae induces oxidative stress-related systems to counter reactive oxygen species (ROS) production caused by intracellular AsV. Characterization of the var mutants suggested that these proteins function independently from one another and play critical roles in preventing deleterious effects on the cell membrane potential and growth derived from the accumulation AsV. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that V. cholerae complexes AsV with the glycolytic intermediate 3-phosphoglycerate into 1-arseno-3-phosphoglycerate (1As3PG). We further show that 1As3PG is not transported outside the cell; instead, it is subsequently dissociated to enable extrusion of free AsV through ArsJ. Collectively, we propose the formation of 1As3PG as a transient metabolic storage of AsV to curb the noxious effect of free AsV. This study advances our understanding of AsV resistance in bacteria and underscores new points of vulnerability that might be an attractive target for antimicrobial interventions. IMPORTANCE Even though resistance to arsenate has been extensively investigated in environmental bacteria, how enteric pathogens tolerate this toxic compound remains unknown. Here, we found that the cholera pathogen V. cholerae exhibits increased resistance to arsenate compared to closely related enteric pathogens. Such resistance is promoted not by ArsC-dependent reduction of arsenate to arsenite but by an operon encoding an arsenate transporter (ArsJ), an alternative glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (VarG), and a putative, uncharacterized phosphatase (VarH). Mechanistically, we demonstrate that V. cholerae detoxifies arsenate by complexing it with the glycolytic intermediate 3-phosphoglycerate into 1-arseno-3-phosphoglycerate (1As3PG). 1As3PG is not transported outside the cell; instead, it is subsequently dissociated by VarH to enable extrusion of free arsenate through ArsJ. Collectively, this study proposes a novel mechanism for arsenate detoxification, entirely independent of arsenate reduction and arsenite extrusion, that enhances V. cholerae resistance to this metalloid compared to other enteric pathogens.

Metabolic Reprogramming and Lipophagy Mediates Survival of Ascites Derived Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Cells.

OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed at understanding the survival of metastatic ovarian cancer spheroids in the malignant ascites microenvironment. METHODS: All the assays were performed using aseptically collected patient samples. The cells were characterized for the expression of ovarian and cancer stem cell markers using immunocytochemistry. The presence of lipid in the primary metastatic cancer spheroids were confirmed by neutral fat staining using Oil Red-O and transmission electron microscopy. The mRNA expression of autophagy and lipid metabolism genes was analyzed using RT-PCR. The lipid content was analyzed using lipidomics analysis. Etomoxir and chloroquine were used to study the effect of inhibition of autophagy in the metastatic cells. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools and a p-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Metastatic ovarian cancer spheroids exhibit cancer stem like properties and undergo a metabolic reprogramming when they disseminate from the primary tumor. We report here the accumulation of numerous cytoplasmic lipid droplets and lipophagic vesicles in the metastatic cells in contrast to their primary tumors. In addition we also report that these cells depend on lipophagy for the utilization of lipids rather than the conventional lipolytic pathway. The lipidomics analysis data reveals that the metastatic cells possess high levels of unsaturated fatty acids. We have also reported the occurrence of distinct accumulation of multiple nuclei in the patient derived metastatic cells. Inhibition of beta-oxidation and autophagic machinery using etomoxir and chloroquine resulted in cell death suggesting a potential mode to suppress metastatic cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Metabolic reprogramming is a characteristic feature of the metastatic ovarian cancer cells that are persisting in the malignant ascites. Targeting of the metastatic by gaining an insight into the various metabolic and molecular changes that occur in the metastatic niche provides a promising therapeutic approach in management of the disease.

Metabolome profiling reveals impact of water limitation on grain filling in contrasting rice genotypes.

Drought significantly decreases crop productivity, especially in high water consuming crops like rice. Grain filling is one of the important critical growth phases in rice and drought during this phase leads to significant reduction in yield. In this study, a comparison was made between IR64 (drought susceptible) and Apo (drought tolerant) rice genotypes to capture the response to water limitation (50% field capacity (FC)) compared with the control (100%FC) during grain filling. Plants were grown in a high-throughput phenomics facility for precise imposition of moisture stress during grain filling. Apo performed better in water limited conditions with lower reduction of photosynthetic rate and maintenance of lower leaf temperature than IR64. Days from sowing to maturity, spikelet fertility and seed weight were more impeded by water limitation in IR64 than in Apo. Unlike Apo, IR64 did not show any decrease in transpiration rate at 50%FC compared with 100%FC. Metabolomic profiling of spikelets at grain filling showed distinct effects of water limitation on accumulation of metabolites, especially in Apo. Secondary metabolism, mainly the phenylpropanoid pathway involved in scavenging mechanisms, was upregulated in Apo. Accumulation of most amino acids was significantly higher in IR64 than in Apo. Due to higher rates of photosynthesis under stress, most carbohydrates accumulated more in Apo than in IR64 at 50%FC. Sucrose transporters were significantly upregulated in water limited conditions especially in Apo. Overall, thanks to higher source capacity, more source to sink transport and better scavenging, Apo showed a lower reduction in yield than IR64.

Enantioselective N-demethylation and hydroxylation of sibutramine in human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome p-450 isoforms.

The enantioselective metabolism of sibutramine was examined using human liver microsomes (HLM) and recombinant cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isoforms. This drug is metabolized to N-mono-desmethyl- (M1) and N,N-di-desmethylsibutramine (M2), and subsequent hydroxylation results in hydroxyl M1 (HM1) and hydroxyl M2 (HM2). No significant difference was noted in formation of M1from sibutramine between R- and S-sibutramine in HLM. However, S-enantiomers of M1 and M2 were preferentially metabolized to M2, HM1, and HM2compared to R-enantiomers in HLM, and intrinsic clearance (Clint) ratios of S-enantiomers/R-enantiomers were 1.97, 4.83, and 9.94 for M2, HM1, and HM2, respectively. CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 were only involved in the formation of M1, whereas CYP2B6 and CYP2C19 were responsible for all metabolic reactions of sibutramine. CYP2C19 and CYP3A5 displayed catalytic preference for S-sibutramine to S-M1, whereas CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 showed little or no stereoselectivity in metabolism of sibutramine to M1. In the case of M2 formation, CYP2B6 metabolized S-M1 more rapidly than R-M1 with a Clint ratio of 2.14. However, CYP2C19 catalyzed less S-M1 than R-M1 and the Clint ratio of S-M1 to R-M1 was 0.65. The most significant enantioselectivity was observed in formation of HM1 from M1, and HM2 from M2. CYP2B6 and CYP2C19 exhibited preferential catalysis of formation of hydroxyl metabolites from S-enantiomers rather than R-enantiomers. These results indicate that S-sibutramine was more rapidly metabolized by CYP isoforms than R-sibutramine, and that enantioselective metabolism needs to be considered in drug interactions involving sibutramine and co-administered drugs.

Different effects of clopidogrel and clarithromycin on the enantioselective pharmacokinetics of sibutramine and its active metabolites in healthy subjects.

In this study, we assessed the effects of clopidogrel and clarithromycin, known CYP2B6 and CYP3A inhibitors, respectively, on the enantioselective disposition of racemic sibutramine in conjunction with CYP2B6 polymorphisms in humans. Sibutramine showed enantioselective plasma profiles with consistently higher concentrations of R-enantiomers. Clopidogrel and clarithromycin significantly increased the sibutramine plasma concentration, but their effects differed between enantiomers; a 2.2-fold versus 4.1-fold increase in the AUC in S-enantiomer and 1.8-fold versus 2.0-fold for the R-enantiomer, respectively. The AUCs of S- and R-desmethyl metabolites changed significantly during the clopidogrel phase (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively) but not during the clarithromycin phase (P = .099 and P = .090, respectively). Exposure to sibutramine was higher in subjects with the CYP2B6*6/*6 genotype, but no statistical difference was observed among the CYP2B6 genotypes. These results suggest that the enantioselective disposition of sibutramine and its active metabolites are influenced by the altered genetic and environmental factors of CYP2B6 and CYP3A activity in vivo.

LC-MS/MS for the simultaneous analysis of arachidonic acid and 32 related metabolites in human plasma: Basal plasma concentrations and aspirin-induced changes of eicosanoids.

Eicosanoids play an important role in various biological responses and can be used as biomarkers for specific diseases. Therefore, we developed a highly selective, sensitive, and robust liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method to measure arachidonic acid and its 32 metabolites in human plasma. Sample preparation involved solid phase extraction, which efficiently removed sources of interference present in human plasma. Chromatographic separation was performed using a Luna C(8)-column with 0.5mM ammonium formate buffer and acetonitrile as the mobile phase under gradient conditions. Detection was performed using tandem mass spectrometry equipped with an electrospray ionization interface in negative ion mode. The matrix did not affect the reproducibility and reliability of the assay. All analytes showed good linearity over the investigated concentration range (r>0.997). The validated lower limit of quantitation for the analytes ranged from 10 to 400pg/mL. Intra- and inter-day precision (RDS%) over the concentration ranges for all eicosanoids were within 16.8%, and accuracy ranged between 88.1 and 108.2%. This assay was suitable for the determination of basal plasma levels of eicosanoids and the evaluation of effect of aspirin on eicosanoid plasma levels in healthy subjects.

High-sensitivity liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of five drugs and their cytochrome P450-specific probe metabolites in human plasma.

A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method with electrospray ionization was developed for the simultaneous quantitation of five probe drugs and their metabolites in human plasma for assessing the in vivo activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP). CYP isoform specific substrates and their metabolites of CYP1A2 (caffeine), CYP2C9 (losartan), CYP2C19 (omeprazole), CYP2D6 (dextromethorphan) and CYP3A (midazolam) were all simultaneously analyzed using LC-MS/MS after administration of a mixture of five drugs (i.e., a "cocktail approach") to healthy volunteers. The assay uses propranolol as an internal standard; dual liquid extraction; a Xbridge MS C(18) (100 mm × 2.1mm, 3.5 µm) column; a gradient mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid/acetonitrile (7/3→3/7); mass spectrometric detection in positive ion mode. The method was validated from 5 to 500 ng/mL for caffeine and paraxanthine, 0.1-40 ng/mL for losartan and EXP3174, 0.05-20 ng/mL for omeprazole and 5-hydroxyomeprazole, 0.008-0.8 ng/mL for dextromethorphan and dextrorphan, 0.01-1.0 ng/mL for midazolam, and 0.04-4 ng/mL for 1'-hydroxymidazolam. The intra- and inter-day precision over the concentration ranges for all analytes were lower than 12.5% and 13.8% (relative standard deviation, %RSD), and accuracy was between 86.5% and 108.4% and between 87.0% and 107.0%, respectively. This highly sensitive and quantitative method allowed a pharmacokinetic study in subjects receiving doses 10-100 times lower than typical therapeutic doses.

Precolumn derivatization followed by liquid chromatographic separation and determination of tramiprosate in rat plasma by fluorescence detector: application to pharmacokinetics.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized pathologically by extracellular amyloid deposits composed of amyloid ß (Aß) protein. A simple and rapid method using HPLC with fluorescence detector was developed and validated for determination of tramiprosate in rat plasma. Pre-column derivatization of the deproteinized rat plasma was carried out using o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) as a fluorescent reagent in presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid. The liquid chromatographic separation was achieved on a Kromasil C18 column using methanol:acetonitrile: 20 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.5 (8.0:17.5:74.5 v/v/v) as a mobile phase in an isocratic elution mode. The eluents were monitored by a fluorescence detector set at 330 and 450 nm of excitation and emission wavelength respectively. Vigabatrin was used as an internal standard. The method was linear within the range 30.0-1000.0 ng/mL. Design of experiments (DOE) was used to evaluate the robustness of the method. The developed method was applied to study the pharmacokinetics of tramiprosate in rats.

Reversed-phase liquid chromatographic determination of tramiprosate in rat plasma using evaporative light scattering detector.

A simple and reliable method was developed for determining blood concentrations of tramiprosate using reversed-phase HPLC with evaporative light scattering detection. The optimum evaporator and nebulizer temperatures for ELSD were set at 90 and 60°C respectively. The method was linear for a concentration range of 10-1000 µg/mL when 0.3 mL blood was used. The intra-assay precision ranged from 1.84 to 5.24%, and the coefficient of variation (CV) for a quality control sample at 10 µg/mL was 5.24% with a bias of -9.50% from the target value. The inter-assay precision ranged from 2.58 to 5.96%, and the CV for a quality control sample at 10 µg/mL was 5.96% with a bias of -7.50% from the target value. The method described here is suitable for management of tramiprosate in Alzheimer disease therapy.

Development of a validated LC method for enantiomeric separation and determination of adrafinil and its related substances on a Chiralcel OJ-H column connected to PDA and polarimetric detectors in series.

A rapid and reliable high-performance liquid chromatographic method for resolution of enantiomers of adrafinil [(±)-ADL], a novel vigilance promoting agent, and its synthetic intermediates was developed. The separation was carried out on a Chiralcel OJ-H using n-hexane-ethanol (62:38 v/v) as a mobile phase. The detection was carried out at 225 nm using a photodiode array (PDA) detector. The optical rotation and order of elution of enantiomers were assigned. The method is suitable not only for process development of ADL but also for quality assurance of bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals.

Determination of rat plasma levels of sertraline enantiomers using direct injection with achiral-chiral column switching by LC-ESI/MS/MS.

A highly sensitive and selective on-line two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometric (2D-LC-ESI/MS/MS) method to determine sertraline (SRT) enantiomers in rat plasma was developed and validated. The method was applied to separate and determine the diastereomers and enantiomers of SRT simultaneously. The 2D-LC-ESI/MS/MS system consisted of RAM column in first dimension for trapping proteineous part of plasma and a chiral Cyclobond column as second dimension for separation of enantiomers and diastereomers of SRT using 0.1% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid:acetonitrile (86:14, v/v) as mobile phase in an isocratic elution mode. The linear dynamic range was 0.5-200ng/mL (r(2)>0.999). Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained over the calibration range. The assay was successfully used in the analysis of SRT enantiomers in rat plasma to support pharmacokinetic studies.

Two-dimensional LC-MS/MS determination of antiretroviral drugs in rat serum and urine.

A simple, rapid, reliable and highly sensitive on-line two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (2D-LC/MS/MS) method to determine antiretroviral drugs viz., abacavir (ABC), nevirapine (NVP) and indinavir (IDV) in rat serum and urine was developed and validated. The analytes were extracted on-line from rat serum and urine by a restricted access material (RAM) column and back-flushed into the reversed-phase C18 column for separation by LC. Detection was carried out by ESI-MS/MS. The developed method showed good selectivity, accuracy and precision for quantification of the antiretroviral drugs in rat serum and urine. Quantification limits for abacavir and nevirapine were 4.0 ng ml(-1), whereas for indinavir 4.7 ng ml(-1). The calibration graphs were linear in the range of 4-50 ng ml(-1)for abacavir, nevirapine and indinavir. The method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of antiretroviral in rats.

On-line 2D-LC-ESI/MS/MS determination of rifaximin in rat serum.

A highly sensitive and selective on-line two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (2D-LC-ESI/MS/MS) method was developed and validated to determine rifaximin in rat serum by direct injection. The 2D-LC-ESI/MS/MS system consisted of a restricted access media column for trapping proteins as the first dimension and a Waters C(18 )column as second dimension using 0.1% aqueous acetic acid:acetonitrile as mobile phase in a gradient elution mode. Rifampacin was used as an internal standard. The linear dynamic range was 0.5-10 ng/mL (r(2) > 0.998). Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained over the calibration range. The assay was successfully used in analysis of rat serum to support pharmacokinetic studies.

Enantioselective separation and determination of adrafinil and modafinil on Chiralcel OJ-H column in rat serum and urine using solid-phase extraction followed by HPLC.

A simple and rapid normal-phase HPLC method for enantiospecific separation of a psychostimulant, adrafinil (ADL), and its metabolite modafinil (MDL) in rat serum and urine was developed. The separation was accomplished on a normal-phase polysaccharide stationary phase Chiralcel OJ-H using n-hexane-ethanol (62:38 v/v) as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Detection was carried out at 225 nm using a photo diode array (PDA) detector. The elution order of the enantiomers was determined by a polarimeter connected in series with the PDA. ADL and its metabolite were recovered from rat serum and urine by solid phase extraction using Oasis HLB cartridges and the mean recoveries were >or=80%. The enantiomers were eluted within 15 min without any interference from endogenous substances. The calibration curves were linear (r(2) > 0.998) in the concentration range of 1.20-500 microg/mL for ADL and MDL. The assay was specific, accurate, precise and reproducible (intra- and inter-day precisions RSDs <7.2%). ADL in rat serum was stable over three freeze-thaw cycles at ambient temperature for 4 h. The method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of adrafinil after an oral administration to rats.

LC-MS of novel narcoepileptics and related substances.

Modafinil, adrafinil and their related substances were synthesized and analyzed by RP-LC with ESI-MS/MS. The ionization mode, polarity, cone voltage, and chromatographic conditions were evaluated. The optimum LC-MS conditions to obtain fragment ions indispensable for identification of the structures were described. The bulk drugs purity of modafinil and adrafinil was evaluated on Kromasil C(18) column with ACN/0.02 M ammonium acetate as mobile phase in gradient elution mode at 30 degrees C. The method was found to be suitable not only for monitoring the reactions during the process development but also for quality assurance of modafinil and adrafinil.

Rapid determination of rifaximin in rat serum and urine by direct injection on to a shielded hydrophobic stationary phase by HPLC.

A simple and rapid reversed-phase HPLC method for determination of rifaximin in rat serum and urine was developed. Separation of rifaximin from biological matrix was achieved by direct injection of rat serum and urine onto a restricted-access medium, Supelco LC-Hisep, a shielded hydrophobic stationary phase, using acetonitrile:water:acetic acid (18:82:0.1 v/v/v) as a mobile phase. The linear range was 0.10-20 microg/mL (r(2 )> 0.999, n = 6), intraday and interday variation was <6.10%. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.03 (signal-to-noise ratio >3) and 0.10 microg/mL (signal-to-noise ratio >10), respectively. The method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of rifaximin after an oral administration to rats.

LC-ESI-MS determination and pharmacokinetics of adrafinil in rats.

A highly sensitive and specific liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for investigating the pharmacokinetics of adrafinil in rats was developed. Rat serum pretreated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) was analyzed by LC-MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile:water:acetic acid (35:65:0.1, v/v/v) in an isocratic elution mode pumped at 1.0 ml/min. The analytical column (250 mm x 4.6 mm i.d.) was packed with Kromasil C(18) material (5.0 microm). The standard curve was linear from 16.5 to 5000 ng/ml. The assay was specific, accurate (R.S.D.<2.6%), precise and reproducible (within- and between-day precisions R.S.D. <7.0% and <9.0%, respectively). Adrafinil in rat serum was stable over three freeze-thaw cycles at ambient temperature for 6 h. The method had a lower limit of quantitation of 16.5 ng/ml, which offered high sensitivity for the determination of adrafinil in serum. The method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of adrafinil after an oral administration to rats.