Exposure of mice to arsenic and/or benzo[a]pyrene does not increase the frequency of Aprt-deficient cells recovered from explanted skin of Aprt heterozygous mice.

Exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water is linked to cancer in humans, but the mechanism of arsenic-induced cancer is not clear. Arsenic is not a powerful point mutagen, but can cause chromosome malsegregation and mitotic recombination, two events that can cause loss of tumor suppressor alleles and thereby contribute to the evolution of cancerous cells. To determine whether arsenic increases the frequency of allele loss due to either malsegregation or mitotic recombination in vivo, Aprt(+/-) hybrid mice were exposed to sodium arsenite (10 mg/L) in their drinking water for 10 weeks. To determine whether arsenic enhances the action of a known mutagen, half of the arsenic-treated mice were exposed to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) for 8 weeks by skin painting (500 nmoles/week). Cells were taken from painted dorsal skin and cultured in the presence of 2,6-diaminopurine (DAP), to select colonies lacking adenosine phosphoribosyl transferase (Aprt) activity. The frequency of DAP-resistant (DAP(r)) colonies varied substantially within the treatment groups, but there was no significant difference between the groups. Analysis of DNA from DAP(r) colonies suggested that mitotic recombination contributed to the loss of wild-type Aprt allele. Whether arsenic or BaP enhanced or diminished the frequency of this process could not be deduced from these data.

Co-mutagenic activity of arsenic and benzo[a]pyrene in mouse skin.

Exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water is linked to skin, lung and bladder cancer in humans. The mechanism of arsenic-induced cancer is not clear, but exposure to arsenic and polycyclic arylhydrocarbons (PAH) is more carcinogenic than exposure to either type of carcinogen alone. Arsenic can also generate reactive oxygen species, suggesting that oxidation of DNA may play a role in carcinogenesis. Oxidization of guanosines in polyG tracts is known to cause frameshift mutations, and such events can be detected in situ using the G11 placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) transgenic mouse model, which reports frameshift mutations in a run of 11 G:C basepairs by generating cells containing heat-resistant alkaline phosphatase activity. PAH can also induce frameshift mutations. In the study described here, FVB/N mice carrying the G11 PLAP transgene were crossed to C57Bl/6 mice. Half of the hybrid mice were given drinking water with sodium arsenite (10 mg/L) for 10 weeks. Half of the arsenic treated mice were also exposed to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) by skin painting (500 nmol/week) for 8 weeks. Another group of mice was exposed to BaP but not arsenic. The effect on frameshift mutation was assessed by staining sections of skin tissue to detect cells with PLAP activity. Arsenic alone had no significant effect. On average, mice given BaP alone had approximately three times more PLAP-positive (PLAP+) cells. By contrast, mice exposed to both arsenic and BaP exhibited 10-fold more PLAP+ cells in the skin, and these cells were often arranged in large clusters, suggesting derivation from stem cells. Whereas combined treatment produced more PLAP+ cells, stable BaP adduct levels and arsenic burdens were not higher in mice exposed to both agents compared to mice exposed to either one agent or the other.

Capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry: an attractive complementary technique for elemental speciation analysis.

Some basic and practical aspects of interfacing capillary electrophoresis to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS) are reviewed in this article with emphasis on the use of this hyphenated technique for elemental speciation analysis. The principles behind the techniques of both CE and ICP-MS are introduced. The interfacing of CE to ICP-MS is discussed including several devices and nebulizers reported in literature. A brief account of their advantages and limitations is given. The various CE-ICP-MS applications for elemental speciation analysis are also reviewed. Some issues concerning the future of CE-ICP-MS for the elemental speciation analyses are discussed.

Studies of various elements of nutritional and toxicological interest associated with different molecular weight fractions in Brazil nuts.

On-line hyphenation of size exclusion chromatography (SEC), UV, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to study the molecular weight distribution patterns of several elements in Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa). This technique was used for the elemental speciation of different elements of nutritional and toxicological interests such as Mg, Fe, Co, Mo, Ag, Hg, and Pb. Elemental fractionation in Brazil nuts was studied using a Superdex peptide column with resolving capacity in the range of 14 to 0.18 kDa. Three different mobile phases, Tris buffer solution (pH 8.0), phosphate buffer (pH 7.5), and CAPS buffer solution (pH 10.0), were tried for the SEC fractionation. Size exclusion fractionation of all the extracted solutions was performed using a 50 mmol L(-)(1) Tris buffer (pH 8) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.6 mL min(-)(1). Three different extractions, 0.05 mol L(-)(1) NaOH, 0.05 mol L(-)(1) HCl, and hot water at 60 degrees C, were performed, and the association of elements with various molecular weight fractions was evaluated. Total elemental concentrations in the extracted samples were determined and compared with the values obtained after total digestion to calculate the recovery values. Generally, high extraction efficiency was obtained with the NaOH solution as compared with HCl and hot water except in the case of magnesium, for which HCl was found to be a good extractant. Chromatographic elution profiles for these extractions were quite distinct from each other in most cases. Most of the elemental species were found to be associated with high molecular weight fractions. To study the differences obtained during the sample-processing step, the results obtained for nuts with shell were treated differently from those obtained for nuts purchased without shell and were compared.

Multielemental speciation analysis of fungi porcini (Boletus edulis) mushroom by size exclusion liquid chromatography with sequential on-line UV-ICP-MS detection.

An analytical methodology to determine the molecular weight (MW) distribution patterns of several elements among different compounds present in commonly consumed edible mushrooms is presented in this work. A hyphenated technique based on size exclusion liquid chromatography (SEC) coupled on-line to UV and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection was used. The association of the elements to high and low MW fractions was confirmed with sequential detection by UV and ICP-MS. Separation of the fractions was performed by injecting a 100 microL sample volume to a Superdex 75 column. The effect of different mobile phases on the separation was evaluated. Additionally, three different extraction conditions including 0.05 mol L(-1) NaOH, 0.05 mol L(-1) HCl, and hot water at 60 degrees C were applied to extract the elemental species from the mushroom samples. Significant differences were observed in the chromatograms depending on the extraction conditions utilized. Optimization of the experimental variables involved in the SEC-UV-ICP-MS coupling was carried out. The method was applied to investigate the fractionation patterns of Bi, Co, Cu, Fe, I, Mo, Ni, Se, and Zn in fungi porcini (Boletus edulis) mushroom. The results obtained in this work indicate an important association of most of the elements to high MW fractions.

Speciation of arsenic in different types of nuts by ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

In this work the quantitative determination and analytical speciation of arsenic were undertaken in different types of nuts, randomly purchased from local markets. The hardness of the whole nuts and high lipid content made the preparation of this material difficult for analysis. The lack of sample homogeneity caused irreproducible results. To improve the precision of analysis, arsenic was determined separately in nut oil and in the defatted sample. The lipids were extracted from the ground sample with the two portions of a mixture of chloroform and methanol (2:1). The defatted material was dried and ground again, yielding a fine powder. The nut oil was obtained by combining the two organic extracts and by evaporating the solvents. The two nut fractions were microwave digested, and total arsenic was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results obtained for oils from different types of nuts showed element concentration in the range 2.9-16.9 ng g(-)(1). Lower levels of arsenic were found in defatted material (<0.1 ng g(-)(1) with the exception of Brazil nuts purchased with and without shells, 3.0 and 2.8 ng g(-)(1) respectively). For speciation analysis of arsenic in nut oils, elemental species were extracted from 2 g of oil with 12 mL of chloroform/methanol (2:1) and 8 mL of deionized water. The aqueous layer, containing polar arsenic species, was evaporated and the residue dissolved and analyzed by ion chromatography-ICP-MS. The anion exchange chromatography enabled separation of As(III), dimethylarsinic acid (DMAs(V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAs(V)), and As(V) within 8 min. Several types of nuts were analyzed, including walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, peanuts, pistachio nuts, and sunflower seeds. The recovery for the speciation procedure was in the range 72.7-90.6%. The primary species found in the oil extracts were As(III) and As(V). The arsenic concentration levels in these two species were 0.7-12.7 and 0.5-4.3 ng g(-)(1), respectively. The contribution of As in DMAs(V) ranged from 0.1 +/- 0.1 ng g(-)(1) in walnuts to 1.3 +/- 0.3 ng g(-)(1) in pine nuts. MMAs(V) was not detected in almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or walnuts, and the highest concentration was found in pistachio nuts (0.5 +/- 0.2 ng g(-)(1)).

Characterization of selenium species in Brazil nuts by HPLC-ICP-MS and ES-MS.

Brazil nuts have been classified as the foodstuffs that contain the highest level of unadulterated selenium, an essential trace element that appears to prevent cancer. To date, characterization of the selenium species in brazil nuts has not yet been investigated. In this work, various sample preparation approaches, including microwave extractions and enzymatic treatments, are examined with the goal of species preservation and subsequent selenium speciation; of these approaches, an enzymatic treatment with Proteinase K proved most effective. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation strategies and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection schemes will also be presented. Extracts are evaluated against available standards for the commercially obtainable seleno-amino acids, selenomethionine (SeMet), selenoethionine (SeEt), and selenocystine (SeCys); selenomethionine was demonstrated to be the most abundant of these seleno-amino acids. Further characterization of unidentified selenium-containing peaks is attempted by the employment of several procedures, including electrospray-mass spectrometry (ES-MS). A peptide structure was identified; however, this was considered a tentative proposal due to the large background produced by the extremely complicated brazil nut matrix.

Studying the distribution pattern of selenium in nut proteins with information obtained from SEC-UV-ICP-MS and CE-ICP-MS.

In this work, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with UV and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection was used to study the association of selenium to proteins present in Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) under five different extraction conditions. As expected, better solubilization of proteins was observed using 0.05molL(-1) sodium hydroxide and 1% sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in Tris/HCl buffer (0.05molL(-1), pH 8) as compared to 0.05molL(-1) HCl, 0.05molL(-1) Tris/HCl or hot water (60 degrees C). Due to non-destructive character of Tris-SDS treatment, this was applied for studying molecular weight (MW) distribution patterns of selenium-containing nut proteins. Three different SEC columns were used for obtaining complete MW distribution of selenium: Superdex 75, Superdex Peptide, and Superdex 200 were tested with 50mmolL(-1) Tris buffer (pH 8), 150mmolL(-1) ammonium bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.8), phosphate (pH 7.5), and CAPS (pH 10.0) mobile phases. Using Superdex 200 column, the elution of at least three MW fractions was observed with UV detection (200-10kDa) and ICP-MS chromatogram showed the co-elution of selenium with the two earlier fractions. The apparent MWs of these selenium-containing fractions were respectively about 107 and 50kDa, as evaluated from the column calibration. For further characterization of individual selenium species, the defatted nuts were hydrolyzed with proteinase K and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with ICP-MS detection. The suitability of CE for the separation of selenite, selenate, selenocystine and selenomethionine in the presence of the nut sample matrix is demonstrated. Complete separation of the above mentioned selenium species was obtained within a migration time of 7min. In the analysis of nut extracts with CE-ICP-MS, selenium was found to be present mainly as selenomethionine.

The potential of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric detection for capillary electrophoretic analysis of pesticides.

In this work, the potential of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled to capillary electrophoresis (CE) to determine organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) is demonstrated. Element specific detection of (31)P with ICP-MS is performed for the detection of OPPs. Three common OPPs, including glyphosate, glufosinate, and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), were analyzed by CE-ICP-MS to demonstrate its applicability for the analysis of OPPs. The advantages of using ICP-MS with respect to other common detectors, such as flame photometric detection (FPD), for CE analysis of OPPs are shown. Additionally, different CE separation conditions were studied to achieve complete baseline separation of the pesticide compounds in short migration times. Two CE buffer systems were evaluated for the separation of OPPs using ICP-MS detection. A buffer solution containing 40 mmol.L(-1) ammonium acetate at pH 9.0 and an applied voltage of +20 kV were finally selected leading to a separation time of 10.0 min. Both migration time and area relative standard deviations (%RSD) were evaluated and their respective values were in the intervals of 1.1-3.3% and 2.7-5.3%. Detection limits obtained with the CE-ICP-MS system were in the range of 0.11-0.19 mg.L(-1) (as compound) yielding an enhancement of 130- to 230-fold with respect to FPD. The proposed methodology was finally applied for the determination of the OPPs mentioned above in natural river water samples.

Speciation of nickel, copper, zinc, and manganese in different edible nuts: a comparative study of molecular size distribution by SEC-UV-ICP-MS.

Molecular size distribution patterns of Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn were determined in several nut species by size-exclusion liquid chromatography (SEC) coupled on-line to UV and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for detection. The molecular weight (MW) fractionation of the different metals was performed with a Superdex Peptide column, injecting 100 microL of the extracted solutions. The association of the elements with different MW fractions was observed with sequential detection by UV and ICP-MS. Various separation conditions were evaluated to obtain proper resolution and reproducible results with the size-exclusion column. Complete MW information of the elemental fractions in the nut samples was obtained within a retention time of 30 min. Fractionation of the above mentioned elements was done in nine different nut species commonly found in commercial markets. Variability of the fractionation patterns for two different extraction media, 0.05 mol L(-1) NaOH and 0.05 mol L(-1) HCl, was evaluated for every nut sample. Differences in the elemental fractionation patterns were found depending on the extraction procedure, nut species, and the type of element studied. It was also observed that the elements studied showed predominant association with high MW fractions when extracted with basic solution whereas with acidic extraction media only low MW fractions were obtained.

HPLC-ICP-MS determination of selenium distribution and speciation in different types of nut.

In addition to determination of total selenium in nuts, the element distribution among different fractions (lipid extract, low molecular weight, and protein fractions), and speciation analysis were studied. Improved precision for total selenium determination was observed after elimination of lipids. Because selenium was not detected in any of the lipid extracts obtained from the different types of nuts (ICP-MS), in each determination and/or speciation procedure used in this work lipids were extracted (chloroform-methanol, 2:1) and discarded before analysis. In agreement with previously reported data, high selenium levels were found in Brazil nuts (those purchased without shells contained approximately a quarter the content than those purchased with shells) and significantly lower levels in walnuts, cashews, and pecans nuts. Low-molecular-weight compounds were extracted with perchloric acid (0.4 mol L(-1)) to furnish a fraction containing 3 to 15% of the total selenium in different types of nuts. The proteins were isolated from nut samples by dissolution in 0.1 mol L(-1) sodium hydroxide and subsequent precipitation with acetone. They were then dissolved in phosphate buffer pH 7.5. Analysis of protein fractions focused on selenium in two possible states - weakly and firmly bound to proteins. Results obtained for Brazil nuts by size-exclusion chromatography with on-line ICP-MS detection, in the absence and in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol, showed that approximately 12% of total selenium was weakly bound to proteins. To obtain information about firmly bound selenium, the protein extracts were hydrolyzed enzymatically with proteinase K. Speciation was performed by means of ion-pairing HPLC-ICP-MS. The primary species found in all types of nuts was Se-methionine (19-25% of total selenium for different types of nuts).

Hydride generation interface for speciation analysis coupling capillary electrophoresis to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A novel hydride generation (HG) interface for coupling capillary electrophoresis (CE) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) is presented in this work. The CE-HG-ICPMS interface was applied to the separation and quantitation of common arsenic species. Lack of a commercially available HG interface for CE-ICPMS led to a three concentric tube design allowing alleviation of back pressure commonly observed in CE-HG-ICPMS. Due to the high sensitivity and element-specific detection of ICPMS, quantitative analysis of As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic acid, and dimethylarsinic acid was achieved. Optimization of CE separation conditions resulted in the use of 20 mmol L(-1) sodium borate with 2% osmotic flow modifier (pH 9.0) and -20 kV applied potential for baseline resolution of each arsenic species in the shortest time. Hydride generation conditions were optimized through multiple electrophoretic separation analyses with 5% HCl and 3% NaBH(4) (in 0.2% NaOH) determined to be the optimum conditions. After completion of system optimization, detection limits obtained for the arsenic species were less than 40 ng L(-1) with electromigration time precision less than 1% within a total analysis time of 9.0 min. Finally, the interface was used for speciation analysis of arsenic in river and tap water samples.

Fast speciation analysis of iodophenol compounds in river waters by capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with off-line solid-phase microextraction.

An analytical methodology for the fast separation and determination of iodophenol species in natural water samples was developed using capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Based on the element-specific and highly sensitive detection provided by ICP-MS, the methodology has been applied to the analysis of 2-iodophenol, 4-iodophenol, and 2,4,6-triiodophenol. The use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME), after proper optimization, improved the signal by a factor of 100 leading to detection limits in the sub microg.L(-1). Different desorption conditions of iodophenol compounds from the SPME microfiber were studied to achieve the optimum preconcentration factor and best analytical performance. Different CE conditions were studied to achieve complete baseline separation of iodophenols in short migration times. Three different CE buffer systems were evaluated using ICP-MS detection. A buffer solution containing 20 mmol.L(-1) 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid (CAPS) and an applied potential of +22 kV were finally selected leading to a maximum separation time of 6.6 min. A relative standard deviation (%RSD) of about 5.0% for ten consecutive determinations was obtained. Finally, the speciation methodology developed was utilized for the determination of iodophenol compounds in natural water samples.

Identification of selenium species in urine by ion-pairing HPLC-ICP-MS using laboratory-synthesized standards.

This study focused on the detection/identification of possible selenium metabolites in human urine. Organoselenium compounds not commercially unavailable were synthesized and characterized by electrospray mass spectrometry. Separation of selenomethionine, methylselenomethionine, trimethylselonium, selenoethionine, and selenoadenosylmethionine was achieved by ion-pairing HPLC with a mobile phase of 2 mmol L(-1) hexanesulfonic acid, 0.4% acetic acid, 0.2% triethanolamine (pH 2.5), and 5% methanol. The column effluent was introduced on-line to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for selenium-specific detection ((77)Se and (78)Se). For selenium speciation in urine, solid-phase extraction was carried out using C(18) cartridges modified with hexanesulfonic acid. Selective retention of cationic species was observed from acidified urine (perchloric acid, pH 2.0). After elution with methanol, evaporation, and dissolution in the mobile phase, the sample was introduced to the HPLC-ICP-MS system and the chromatographic peaks were assigned by adding standards. The species identified in urine were selenomethionine, trimethylselonium ion, and selenoadenosylmethionine. The last species was detected for the first time and our results suggest that selenomethionine might enter the metabolic pathway of its sulfur analog in the activated methylation cycle.

Hydrolysis of proteins with methanesulfonic acid for improved HPLC-ICP-MS determination of seleno-methionine in yeast and nuts.

In this work, the use of methanesulfonic acid for protein hydrolysis is proposed for evaluation of Se-methionine in yeast, Brazil nuts, and possibly other selenium-rich biological samples. The hydrolysis was carried out by heating the sample with 4 mol L(-1) acid at reflux for 8 h. Two chromatographic techniques (size-exclusion and ion-pairing) coupled with ICP-MS detection were used to compare the release of Se-methionine from proteins by enzymatic (proteinase K, protease XIV) and acid hydrolyses. A more efficient liberation of Se-methionine was observed by acid hydrolysis. For quantification, the sample extracts were introduced onto a C8 Alltima column, and the separation was achieved with a mobile phase containing 5 mmol L(-1) hexanesulfonic acid in citrate buffer (pH 4.5)/methanol (95:5). The results obtained by standard addition showed 816+/-17 micro g g(-1) and 36.2+/-1.5 micro g g(-1) of selenium in the form of Se-methionine in yeast and nuts, respectively (65% and 75% of total selenium).

Determination of As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid and arsenobetaine by HPLC-ICP-MS: analysis of reference materials, fish tissues and urine.

In this study, a rapid and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) determination of primary As species in fish tissues and urine is reported. The separation was achieved on an Altima C18 column with a mobile phase containing citric acid and hexanesulfonic acid (pH 4.5). As(V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), As(III), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and arsenobetaine (AsB) were separated in less than 4 min with retention times of 83, 99, 130, 166 and 208 s, respectively. This separation of five species in less than 4 min should be attractive to those interested in As speciation. The quantification limits were 44, 56, 94, 64, 66 ng l(-1) and the relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) for day-to-day injections of As at 2 mug l(-1) were 2.0, 3.1, 2.4, 3.8 and 4.0%. The procedure was tested using two reference materials (DORM-2 dogfish muscle tissue, NIST SRM 2670 Freeze-dried Urine, normal level) and then applied to real-world samples. The results obtained demonstrate the suitability of the procedure for screening and quantification at physiological levels of primary As species in biological samples.

SEC-ICP-MS studies for elements binding to different molecular weight fractions of humic substances in compost extract obtained from urban solid waste.

In this work, the speciation of elements in compost was studied with emphasis on their binding to humic substances. In order to assess the distribution of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, U, Th and Zn among molecular weight fractions of humic substances, the compost extract (extracted by 0.1 mol l(-1) sodium pyrophosphate) was analyzed by size exclusion chromatography coupled on-line with UV-Vis spectrophotometric and ICP-MS detection. Similar chromatograms were obtained for standard humic acid (Fluka) and for compost extract (254 nm, 400 nm) and three size fractions were operationally defined that corresponded to the apparent molecular weight ranges > 15 kDa, 1-15 kDa and < 1 kDa. The percentage of total element content in compost that was leached to the extract ranged from 30% up to 100% for different elements. The elution profiles of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb (ICP-MS) followed that of humic substances, while for other elements the bulk elution peak matched the retention time observed for the element in the absence of compost extract. Spiking experiments were carried out to confirm elements' binding and to estimate the affinity of individual elements for humic substances derived from compost. The results obtained indicated the following order of decreasing affinity: Cu > Ni > Co > Pb > Cd > (Cr, U, Th) >> (As, Mn, Mo, Zn). After standard addition, further binding of Cu, Ni and Co with the two molecular weight fractions of humic substances was observed, indicating that humic substances derived from compost were not saturated with these elements.