Nociceptive chemical hypersensitivity in the spinal cord of a rat reserpine-induced fibromyalgia model.

The pathological mechanisms of fibromyalgia (FM) are largely unknown. Recently, a rat reserpine-induced pain model showing exaggerated pain-related behaviors to mechanical and thermal stimuli has been used in FM research. However, the model has not been fully characterized. Here, we investigated nociceptive hypersensitivity to chemical stimuli and its spinal mechanisms to further characterize the model. The rat model was induced by administering reserpine to the nervous system. Nociceptive behaviors to chemical stimuli were quantified using the formalin pain test, and neuronal activation of the stimuli was examined using spinal c-Fos immunohistochemistry and electrophysiological recordings of superficial dorsal horn (SDH) neurons. The duration of pain-related behaviors was prolonged in both phases I (0-5 min) and II (10-60 min) and the interphase; and the number of c-Fos-immunoreactive nuclei increased in laminae I-II, III-IV, and V-VI at the spinal segments L3-L5 on the side ipsilateral to the formalin injection, and these factors were significantly and positively correlated. The action potentials of SDH neurons induced by formalin injection were markedly increased in rats treated with reserpine. These results demonstrate that pain-related behaviors are facilitated by noxious chemical stimuli in a rat reserpine-induced FM model, and that the behavioral hypersensitivity is associated with hyperactivation of SDH neurons.

Development of a new atmospheric pressure plasmaspray ionization for ambient mass spectrometry.

A new atmospheric pressure ionization method, plasmaspray ionization, termed as PSI, was developed to be an alternative ambient ion source for mass spectrometry. It comprises a plasma jet device and a sample spray part. While the nonthermal plasma jet strikes the surface of stainless steel tube out of the spray capillary, the sprayed sample will be ionized with the assistant of auxiliary gas. Although PSI is a little bit more complex than electrospray ionization (ESI) in instrument, it shows both better linearity and higher sensitivity for organic compounds. For protein samples, it presents wider distributions of multiply charged ions and higher mass resolution without sacrificing any sensitivity. For the mechanism of PSI, the charge build-up process on the tip of capillary should play a key role for the ion formation, and the stimulated pulsed voltage on the flow tube will promote the ion aggregation speed until the charge density is high enough. PSI source contains the features of plasma ionization and ESI and can be considered as a novel combo bridging these techniques. These results reflect that this method of PSI can be applied and further developed as a versatile new ion source for a wild range of organic and biological samples.

Comparison of efficiencies of selected sample extraction techniques for the analysis of selected antiretroviral drugs in human plasma using LC-MS.

INTRODUCTION: Sample preparation in bio analytical chemistry poses a challenge because it can be compound dependent. We compared six sample extraction techniques i.e. QuEChERS (Q), liquid extraction (LE), protein precipitation (PPT), Q-PPT, Q-LE and LE-PPT for the extraction of antiretroviral drugs emtricitabine, tenofovir, efavirenz, lopinavir and rotinavir in human blood plasma. METHOD: A multiple reaction monitoring liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of the same antiretroviral drugs developed and validated in this laboratory was used. Comparisons were based on the efficiencies of extraction, the precisions and accuracies. Using United States Food and Drug Administration guidelines, analytical performance characteristics i.e. limits of detection, lower limits of quantification and upper limits of quantification were also compared. RESULTS: The percent mean recoveries ranged between 68.8 and 81.2% for single modes and 52.4-70.5% for mixed mode techniques. The precisions of all the extraction techniques were within the Using United States Food and Drug Administration guidelines acceptable range of <15% at all concentration levels for all analytes. Accuracy ranged between 8.73 and 65.94% for single mode techniques and between 21.73 and 51.59% for mixed mode techniques. DISCUSSION: The mixed modes gave slightly lower recoveries but Q-LE compared well with the single modes at slightly higher spike levels. Limits of detection for all the six sample preparation techniques fell below the clinically relevant therapeutic range of approximately 3-8ppm. Therefore all techniques can be employed for routine therapeutic drug monitoring studies.

Liquid microjunction surface sampling probe electrospray mass spectrometry for detection of drugs and metabolites in thin tissue sections.

A self-aspirating, liquid microjunction surface sampling probe/electrospray emitter mass spectrometry system was demonstrated for use in the direct analysis of spotted and dosed drugs and their metabolites in thin tissue sections. Proof-of-principle sampling and analysis directly from tissue without the need for sample preparation was demonstrated first by raster scanning a region on a section of rat liver onto which reserpine was spotted. The mass spectral signal from selected reaction monitoring was used to develop a chemical image of the spotted drug on the tissue. The probe was also used to selectively spot sample areas of sagittal whole-body tissue from a mouse that had been dosed orally (90 mg/kg) with R,S-sulforaphane 3 h prior to sacrifice. Sulforaphane and its glutathione and N-acetyl cysteine conjugates were monitored with selected reaction monitoring and detected in the stomach and various other tissues from the dosed mouse. No signal for these species was observed in the tissue from a control mouse. The same dosed-tissue section was used to illustrate the possibility of obtaining a lane scan across the whole-body section. In total, these results illustrate the potential for rapid screening of the distribution of drugs and metabolites in thin tissue sections with the liquid micro-junction surface sampling probe/electrospray mass spectrometry approach. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-aspirating atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source for direct sampling of analytes on surfaces and in liquid solutions.

A self-aspirating heated nebulizer probe is described and demonstrated for use in the direct analysis of analytes on surfaces and in liquid samples by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry. Functionality and performance of the probe as a self-aspirating APCI source is demonstrated using reserpine and progesterone as test compounds. The utility of the probe to sample analytes directly from surfaces was demonstrated first by scanning development lanes of a reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography plate in which a three-component dye mixture, viz., Fat Red 7B, Solvent Green 3, and Solvent Blue 35, was spotted and the components were separated. Development lanes were scanned by the sampling probe operated under computer control (x, y plane) while full-scan mass spectra were recorded using a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. In addition, the ability to sample the surface of pharmaceutical tablets (viz., Extra Strength Tylenol and Evista tablets) and to detect the active ingredients (acetaminophen and raloxifene, respectively) selectively was demonstrated using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Finally, the capability to sample analyte solutions from the wells of a 384-well microtiter plate and to perform quantitative analyses using MS/MS detection was illustrated with cotinine standards spiked with cotinine-d3 as an internal standard.

Chemiluminometric determination of reserpine and related alkaloids.

The determination of the alkaloids reserpine, rescinnamine and yohimbine based on a chemiluminogenic reaction with potassium permanganate in the presence of polyphosphoric acid is described. The investigation was carried out using a batch and a flow injection chemiluminometer. Both approaches were accurate and precise, allowing the measurement of reserpine within the ranges 0.100-3.00 and 0.050-3.00 micrograms ml-1 with RSD values for 1.00 microgram ml-1 of 1.91 and 0.33% (n = 8) with the batch and the flow injection manifold, respectively. The procedure was successfully applied to formulations after extraction of reserpine with chloroform, with recoveries from commercial formulations within the range 95.2-99.0%.

Determination of ajmalicine in reserpine raw materials by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

A method is presented for determination of ajmalicine in reserpine raw materials by liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection. The sample is dissolved in a very small volume of chloroform, and the resulting solution is diluted with methanol. The reference solution of ajmalicine is prepared directly in methanol. For LC, a 30 cm long normal-phase column is used. The mobile phase is methanol containing a small volume of an aqueous solution of 1-pentanesulfonic acid, sodium salt. Detection is by fluorescence with excitation at 280 nm and emission at 360 nm. In 3 samples, the ajmalicine contents ranged from 1.2 to 1.9%.

Identificaçäo cromatográfica da reserpina em comprimidos e injetáveis / Chamatographic identification of reserpine in tablets and injections

O método da cromatografia em camada delegada foi usado para a identificaçäo da reserpina contida em injetáveis e comprimidos de fórmulas diversas. O uso da sílica gel G, GF e celulose microcristalina como adsorvente, forneceu ótimos resultados, em conjunto com fases móveis e reveladores apropriados. Foram testados vários processos para extraçäo do alcalóide de suas formulaçöes

A new gas chromatographic method for the estimation of reserpine and rescinnamine.

Under the conditions described for alkaline hydrolysis of reserpine and rescinnamine in absolute and aqueous methanol, and after esterification (with diazomethane) of the resulting acid fraction, methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate was quantitatively recovered, whereas methyl trans-3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamate, in normal lighting conditions, was either partly isomerized to methyl cis-trimethoxycinnamate or formed an adduct with a molecule of methanol, yielding methyl 3-methoxy-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)propionate. The structures of the products were established by synthesis, nuclear magnetic resonance studies and mass spectrometry. This investigation of the hydrolytic conditions allowed a reliable and rapid gas chromatographic determination of reserpine and/or rescinnamine in amounts down to 500 and 2000 mug, respectively, to be devised.

Drugs in breast milk.

PIP: Data on the pharmacology of drugs in breast milk are incomplete. The concentration in milk of drugs present in maternal blood depends on the lipid solubility of the drug and its degree of ionization. The immature renal and hepatic functions in the nursing infant can delay excretion of drugs. There has been no documented harm to nursing infants due to maternal use of oral contraceptives although long-term studies are unavailalbe. Breast feeding is contraindicated if the mother uses therapeutic doses of radioactive iodine, is a severe chronic alcoholic, or takes corticosteroids, phenobarbitone, and anticancer drugs. During lactation, drugs should be avoided as much as possible.^ieng