Toxic doses of caffeine are needed to increase skeletal muscle contractility.

Discrepant results have been reported regarding an intramuscular mechanism underlying the ergogenic effect of caffeine on neuromuscular function in humans. Here, we reevaluated the effect of caffeine on muscular force production in humans and combined this with measurements of the caffeine dose-response relationship on force and cytosolic free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) in isolated mouse muscle fibers. Twenty-one healthy and physically active men (29 ± 9 yr, 178 ± 6 cm, 73 ± 10 kg, mean ± SD) took part in the present study. Nine participants were involved in two experimental sessions during which supramaximal single and paired electrical stimulations (at 10 and 100 Hz) were applied to the femoral nerve to record evoked forces. Evoked forces were recorded before and 1 h after ingestion of 1) 6 mg caffeine/kg body mass or 2) placebo. Caffeine plasma concentration was measured in 12 participants. In addition, submaximal tetanic force and [Ca2+]i were measured in single mouse flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle fibers exposed to 100 nM up to 5 mM caffeine. Six milligrams of caffeine per kilogram body mass (plasma concentration ~40 µM) did not increase electrically evoked forces in humans. In superfused FDB single fibers, millimolar caffeine concentrations (i.e., 15- to 35-fold above usual concentrations observed in humans) were required to increase tetanic force and [Ca2+]i. Our results suggest that toxic doses of caffeine are required to increase muscle contractility, questioning the purported intramuscular ergogenic effect of caffeine in humans.

Phenotyping of CYP450 in human liver microsomes using the cocktail approach.

The cocktail approach is an advantageous strategy used to monitor the activities of several cytochromes P450 (CYPs) in a single test to increase the throughput of in vitro phenotyping studies. In this study, a cocktail mixture was developed with eight CYP-specific probe substrates to simultaneously evaluate the activity of the most important CYPs, namely, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and the CYP3A subfamily. After cocktail incubation in the presence of human liver microsomes (HLMs), the eight selected substrates and their specific metabolites were analyzed by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Qualitative and quantitative data were simultaneously acquired to produce an overview of the extended phase I biotransformation routes for each probe substrate in the HLMs and to generate phenotypic profiles of various HLMs. A comparison of the cocktail strategy with an individual substrate assay for each CYP produced similar results. Moreover, the cocktail was tested on HLMs with different allelic variants and/or in the presence of selective inhibitors. The results were in agreement with the genetic polymorphisms of the CYPs and the expected effect of the alterations. All of these experiments confirmed the reliability of this cocktail assay for phenotyping of the microsomal CYPs.

Wipe sampling procedure coupled to LC-MS/MS analysis for the simultaneous determination of 10 cytotoxic drugs on different surfaces.

A simple wipe sampling procedure was developed for the surface contamination determination of ten cytotoxic drugs: cytarabine, gemcitabine, methotrexate, etoposide phosphate, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, irinotecan, doxorubicin, epirubicin and vincristine. Wiping was performed using Whatman filter paper on different surfaces such as stainless steel, polypropylene, polystyrol, glass, latex gloves, computer mouse and coated paperboard. Wiping and desorption procedures were investigated: The same solution containing 20% acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water gave the best results. After ultrasonic desorption and then centrifugation, samples were analysed by a validated liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in selected reaction monitoring mode. The whole analytical strategy from wipe sampling to LC-MS/MS analysis was evaluated to determine quantitative performance. The lowest limit of quantification of 10 ng per wiping sample (i.e. 0.1 ng cm(-2)) was determined for the ten investigated cytotoxic drugs. Relative standard deviation for intermediate precision was always inferior to 20%. As recovery was dependent on the tested surface for each drug, a correction factor was determined and applied for real samples. The method was then successfully applied at the cytotoxic production unit of the Geneva University Hospitals pharmacy.

Simultaneous quantification of ten cytotoxic drugs by a validated LC-ESI-MS/MS method.

A liquid chromatography separation with electrospray ionisation and tandem mass spectrometry detection method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of ten commonly handled cytotoxic drugs in a hospital pharmacy. These cytotoxic drugs are cytarabine, gemcitabine, methotrexate, etoposide phosphate, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, irinotecan, doxorubicin, epirubicin and vincristine. The chromatographic separation was carried out by RPLC in less than 21 min, applying a gradient elution of water and acetonitrile in the presence of 0.1% formic acid. MS/MS was performed on a triple quadrupole in selected reaction monitoring mode. The analytical method was validated to determine the limit of quantification (LOQ) and quantitative performance: lowest LOQs were between 0.25 and 2 ng mL(-1) for the ten investigated cytotoxic drugs; trueness values (i.e. recovery) were between 85% and 110%, and relative standard deviations for both repeatability and intermediate precision were always inferior to 15%. The multi-compound method was successfully applied for the quality control of pharmaceutical formulations and for analyses of spiked samples on potentially contaminated surfaces.

Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis 2005-2008.

This review article presents recent developments and applications of non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE): The text covers the period from the previous review (L. Geiser, J. L. Veuthey, Electrophoresis 2007, 28, 45-57) to summer 2008. We focus primarily on the analysis of pharmaceutical drugs by non-aqueous solvents in CZE within different matrices including phytochemical plant extracts and biological fluids. We also extend our discussion to other application fields (e.g. food material and environmental samples) and to chiral separations by NACE. This review focuses on practical aspects of NACE, illustrating which organic solvents and electrolytes are best suited for NACE analyses and their compatibilities with different detection techniques, including UV, LIF and MS. The review emphasizes the interests of using non-aqueous solvents in place of water for the analysis by CZE, and as an alternative to MEKC.

In-line system containing porous polymer monoliths for protein digestion with immobilized pepsin, peptide preconcentration and nano-liquid chromatography separation coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy.

The use of two different monoliths located in capillaries for on-line protein digestion, preconcentration of peptides and their separation has been demonstrated. The first monolith was used as support for covalent immobilization of pepsin. This monolith with well-defined porous properties was prepared by in situ copolymerization of 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone and ethylene dimethacrylate. The second, poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith with a different porous structure served for the preconcentration of peptides from the digest and their separation in reversed-phase liquid chromatography mode. The top of the separation capillary was used as a preconcentrator, thus enabling the digestion of very dilute solutions of proteins in the bioreactor and increasing the sensitivity of the mass spectrometric detection of the peptides using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization. Myoglobin, albumin, and hemoglobin were digested to demonstrate feasibility of the concept of using the two monoliths in-line. Successive protein injections confirmed both the repeatability of the results and the ability to reuse the bioreactor for at least 20 digestions.

Stability and repeatability of capillary columns based on porous monoliths of poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate).

Monolithic poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) capillary columns have been prepared via either thermally or photochemically initiated polymerization of the corresponding monomers and the repeatability of their preparation has been explored. Three separate batches of 5 columns each were prepared using thermal and photochemical initiation for a total of 30 columns. All 30 capillary columns were tested in liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry mode for the separation of a model mixture of three proteins--ribonuclease A, cytochrome c and myoglobin. Excellent repeatability of retention times was observed for the proteins as evidenced by relative standard deviation (RSD) values of less than 1.5%. Somewhat broader variations with RSD values of up to 10% were observed for the pressure drop in the columns. The stability of retention times was also monitored using a single monolithic column and no significant shifts in either retention times or back pressure was observed in a series of almost 2200 consecutive protein separations.

Strategies for rapid chiral analysis by capillary electrophoresis.

The aim of this study was to investigate four strategies to decrease chiral CE analysis time: (1) short-end injection technique, (2) high electric field through a capillary length reduction, (3) external pressure application and (4) capillary dynamically coated to generate an important electroosmotic flow. These approaches were applied for a simultaneous enantiomeric separation of amphetamine and four related compounds using a neutral derivatised cyclodextrin (hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin) as chiral selector. Analysis time and CE performances, in terms of peak efficiency and resolution, were examined. Among the investigated strategies, the dynamic coating procedure appeared to be the most suitable approach to decrease analysis time (inferior to 7 min) and improve sensitivity. Furthermore, it exhibited very good migration time repeatability (0.1%). This benefit is of utmost interest in chiral analysis for an unambiguous peak identification, especially for a complex mixture such as reported in this study.

Determination of electroosmotic flow in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis.

Mobility of the electroosmotic flow (mu(EOF)) in fused-silica capillaries strongly depends on the nature of the background electrolyte. In this study, 27 solvent systems were investigated, namely water, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, acetonitrile (MeCN), formamide, N-methylformamide (NMF), N,N-dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxyde, as well as 8 hydroorganic and 9 organic mixtures. For each system, six mu(EOF) were determined at a different ionic strength in basic conditions, and an absolute electroosmotic flow mobility (mu(EOF,0)) was extrapolated according to the Debye-Huckel Onsager model. The obtained mu(EOF,0) values were correlated with the solvent's relative permittivity (epsilon) and viscosity (eta). A good correlation (r2=0.867) between mu(EOF,0) and the solvent's epsilon/eta ratio was demonstrated, except for two solvents (MeCN and NMF). Furthermore, the donor number (DN) of a solvent took into account the possible zeta potential modification in the electric double layer near the capillary wall. Consequently, the relationship between mu(EOF,0) and epsilon/(eta x DN) was superior, with a r2 of 0.943 for 10 pure solvents.

Capillary zone electrophoresis for the estimation of transdermal iontophoretic mobility.

The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between transdermal iontophoretic flux--specifically, the electromigratory component--and electrophoretic mobility as determined by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). First, the steady-state iontophoretic transport rates of a series of dipeptides across porcine skin were determined in vitro. Co-iontophoresis of acetaminophen was used to quantify the respective contributions of electroosmosis (EO) and electromigration (EM). Second, the electrophoretic mobilities of the dipeptides and three other cationic drugs (lidocaine, propranolol, and quinine) were determined, under equivalent experimental conditions, using CZE. Analysis of the transport data using the results of the CZE experiments revealed a linear dependence (r2 > 0.9) between EM flux and electrophoretic mobility. The CZE measurements also provided insight into the charge state of "zwitterionic" dipeptides, H-Glu-epsilon-Lys-OH and H-Tyr-Gln-OH, revealing that these molecules had partial net negative charges under the formulation conditions, accounting for the absence of anodal iontophoretic delivery. The results suggest that CZE might (i) enable identification of ionization states of complex molecules, (ii) serve as a preliminary screen to identify electrically mobile compounds suitable for iontophoretic delivery, and (iii) prove useful for predicting the EM contribution to transdermal iontophoretic flux.

Inhibition screening method of microsomal UGTs using the cocktail approach.

A rapid method for the simultaneous determination of the in vitro activity of the 10 major human liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes was developed based on the cocktail approach. Specific substrates were first selected for each UGT: etoposide for UGT1A1, chenodeoxycholic acid for UGT1A3, trifluoperazine for UGT1A4, serotonin for UGT 1A6, isoferulic acid for UGT1A9, codeine for UGT2B4, azidothymidine for UGT2B7, levomedetomidine for UGT2B10, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine for UGT2B15 and testosterone for UGT2B17. Optimal incubation conditions, including time-based experiments on cocktail metabolism in pooled HLMs that had been performed, were then investigated. A 45-min incubation period was found to be a favorable compromise for all the substrates in the cocktail. Ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to separate the 10 substrates and their UGT-specific glucuronides in less than 6 min. The ability of the cocktail to highlight the UGT inhibitory potential of xenobiotics was initially proven by using well-known UGT inhibitors (selective and nonselective) and then by relating some of the screening results obtained by using the cocktail approach with morphine glucuronidation (substrate highly glucuronidated by UGT 2B7). All the results were in agreement with both the literature and with the expected effect on morphine glucuronidation.

Potential of formamide and N-methylformamide in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Application to the analysis of beta-blockers.

A nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) method, coupled with either UV or electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), is described for the simultaneous analysis of seven beta-blockers. The same electrolyte, namely 25 mM ammonium formate and 1 M formic acid, was used with different investigated organic solvents. In addition to frequently used organic solvents such as methanol (MeOH) and acetonitrile (MeCN), formamide and its derivatives were investigated. Formamide (FA) and N-methylformamide (NMF) present several interesting physico-chemical properties, one of them being a high dielectric constant (e). Since FA and NMF possess a high UV cutoff, beta-blockers with an absorbance above 250 nm were selected as model compounds in order to compare NACE-UV and NACE-MS performances. FA and NMF showed different selectivity compared to water, MeOH or MeCN, and also demonstrated a higher efficiency in terms of the number of theoretical plates (especially NMF). To overcome their unfavorable optical properties, hyphenation with MS detection appears as a promising technique, thanks to its benefits in terms of selectivity, sensitivity and universality. The practical compatibility of FA and NMF with ESI-MS detection in combination with a sheath liquid configuration was demonstrated. In comparison to UV detection, sensitivity was increased, while a high efficiency was maintained. In addition, the low and stable generated currents observed were evidences for the successful hyphenation with ESI-MS. Hence, FA and NMF seemed to be promising alternatives in NACE-ESI-MS, either used as pure organic solvent or as a mixture with MeOH or MeCN.

Simultaneous analysis of metabisulfite and sulfate by CE with indirect UV detection. Application to and validation for a pharmaceutical formulation.

Metabisulfite is used as an antioxidant agent in a number of pharmaceutical formulations. In order to quantify simultaneously both metabisulfite and its oxidation product (sulfate), a capillary zone electrophoretic (CZE) method with indirect UV detection was developed. Best results were achieved with a background electrolyte (BGE) constituted of 15 mM pyromellitic acid, 15 mM tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane and 0.2 mM tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide at pH 8.3 and an applied electrical field of 123 V/cm in a 32.5 cm fused silica capillary. Indirect UV detection was performed at a wavelength of 225 nm. In order to validate this method, an internal standard (IS), namely ammonium formate, was used. Moreover, due to the high chloride concentration in the pharmaceutical formulation, conductivity was adjusted by adding sodium chloride into standard solutions to prevent matrix effect. Linearity and accuracy were successfully tested in a concentration range of 33.3-250 microg/ml for sodium metabisulfite and of 50-375 microg/ml for sodium sulfate. Method precision was determined on six samples each day. Thereby, relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of 6% and 12-13% were obtained for intra-day and inter-day precision, respectively. Considering the instability of metabisulfite and its use as an antioxidant agent and not as an active principle, the method was accepted and used for routine analyses.

A cocktail approach for assessing the in vitro activity of human cytochrome P450s: an overview of current methodologies.

An assessment of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activity is essential for characterizing the phase I metabolism of biological systems or to evaluate the inhibition/induction properties of xenobiotics. CYPs have generally been investigated individually by single probes, and metabolite formation has been monitored by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). To increase the throughput, many probes have been applied to assess multiple CYP activities simultaneously within a single experiment. This strategy is called the cocktail approach, and it has already been reviewed for in vivo applications, but never for in vitro ones. This review focuses for the first time on an in vitro cocktail approach, and it references the most notable articles on this topic. The advantages and limitations of applying cocktails for the in vitro activity assessment of major human CYPs, namely, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and subfamily CYP3A, are discussed. This article considers the probe reaction selections for each CYP according to regulatory recommendations, probe metabolic properties (i.e., specificity and turnover), probe concentrations and analytical sensitivity, but it also highlights a challenge specific to cocktail design, which is probe-probe interaction. The last part of the review reports some methodologies for incubating these cocktails and discusses some important issues regarding the incubation time, enzyme concentrations and sample preparation.

Contribution of various types of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry instruments to band broadening in fast analysis.

When performing fast LC with 50mm narrow-bore columns packed with small particles, the LC instrumentation can give rise to non-negligible band broadening. In the present study, the loss in chromatographic efficiency attributed to nine different mass spectrometers of various brands, ionization source geometries and types of analyzers was assessed. In their standard configurations, the extra-column variance of these UHPLC-MS systems was estimated to vary from 20 to >100 µL(2). However, it was demonstrated that these differences arise exclusively from the chromatographic system (i.e., injector, tubing, valves, heater) and from the tubing employed to interface the UHPLC instrument with the MS device. By minimizing the tubing used for each UHPLC system, the extra-column variance was reduced to approximately 17-19 µL(2) at 600 µL/min, for all types of configurations. To achieve optimal chromatographic performance, it is therefore of prime importance to optimize the UHPLC configuration prior to conducting MS. The tubing located between the UHPLC system and the ionization source entrance was found to be particularly critical, as it contributes to band broadening even in the gradient mode. Using an optimized UHPLC-MS configuration, the loss in efficiency with a 50 × 2.1mm I.D. column was negligible for k>7. However, the efficiency loss with 1mm I.D. columns remained non-negligible for all current instrumentation, even for solutes with a value of k>20. Indeed, for a mixture of isobaric substrates and metabolites analyzed in gradient mode, the peak widths decreased by approximately 50% between a standard and optimized UHPLC-MS configuration, considering a 50 × 2.1mm, 1.7 µm column. The peak broadening was changed by 230% on a 50 × 1 mm, 1.7 µm stationary phase, for the same system configurations.

EasyProt--an easy-to-use graphical platform for proteomics data analysis.

High throughput protein identification and quantification analysis based on mass spectrometry are fundamental steps in most proteomics projects. Here, we present EasyProt (available at http://easyprot.unige.ch), a new platform for mass spectrometry data processing, protein identification, quantification and unexpected post-translational modification characterization. EasyProt provides a fully integrated graphical experience to perform a large part of the proteomic data analysis workflow. Our goal was to develop a software platform that would fulfill the needs of scientists in the field, while emphasizing ease-of-use for non-bioinformatician users. Protein identification is based on OLAV scoring schemes and protein quantification is implemented for both, isobaric labeling and label-free methods. Additional features are available, such as peak list processing, isotopic correction, spectra filtering, charge-state deconvolution and spectra merging. To illustrate the EasyProt platform, we present two identification and quantification workflows based on isobaric tagging and label-free methods.

Shotgun proteomics: a qualitative approach applying isoelectric focusing on immobilized pH gradient and LC-MS/MS.

Shotgun proteomics is a rapid and near universal strategy to identify proteins in complex protein mixtures. After protein digestion, the resulting peptide mixture is submitted to two orthogonal techniques: peptides are first separated according to their isoelectric point (pI) by isoelectric focusing (IEF) on immobilized pH gradient (IPG); after peptide extraction, they are then separated in the second dimension according to their hydrophobic properties by reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). Finally, they are detected by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and proteins are matched by means of bioinformatics software.

Shotgun proteomics: a relative quantitative approach using Off-Gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS.

Shotgun proteomics originated as a strategy to identify proteins in complex protein mixtures, but it is also possible to obtain information on relative quantitation with some adjustments to the procedure. After protein digestion, the resulting peptide mixture is labelled with isobaric tags. Then, labelled peptides are submitted to two orthogonal techniques: first, peptides are separated according to their isoelectric point (pI) by Off-Gel electrophoresis (OGE), a relatively new isoelectric focusing (IEF) technique; after peptide purification, they are then separated in a second dimension according to their hydrophobic properties by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). Finally, following detection by mass spectrometry (MS) and sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), proteins are matched by means of bioinformatics software, and protein ratios are calculated by comparing isobaric tagged reporter fragments to highlight the different expression of one protein in one sample relative to other samples.

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis in pharmaceutical analysis.

This review presents different solvents and electrolytes commonly used as BGEs in NACE for the analysis of pharmaceutical compounds. Most NACE applications carried out since 1998 for the analysis of compounds of pharmaceutical interest are presented in four tables: (i) analysis of drugs and related substances, (ii) analysis of chiral substances, (iii) analysis of phytochemical extracts and (iv) analysis of drugs in biological fluids. These selected examples are used to illustrate the interest in NACE versus conventional aqueous CE.

Clinical comparison of fixation methods for patellar bone quadriceps tendon autografts in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: absorbable cross-pins versus absorbable screws.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the use of the quadriceps tendon transplant with bone block (patellar bone quadriceps tendon autografts) for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has increasingly been reported. HYPOTHESIS: Clinical results after the implantation of a patellar bone quadriceps tendon autograft fixed with cross-pins or screws will show no significant difference between the 2 techniques with regard to stability, function, and subjective satisfaction. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Between 1998 and 2004, 193 patients with anterior cruciate ligament ruptures were implanted with a patellar bone quadriceps tendon autograft. For 100 of these patients, fixation was carried out using absorbable cross-pins, and for the remaining 93, fixation was carried out using absorbable screws. The results were evaluated by means of International Knee Documentation Committee, Noyes, and Lysholm scores, as well as KT-1000 arthrometer measurement and subjective satisfaction. RESULTS: The mean follow-up postoperative control period was 29 months. In the International Knee Documentation Committee overall evaluation, the pin group showed a significantly better result (P =.03). The values of the Noyes score produced no significant differences. The mean value of the Lysholm score was 94 points in the screw group and 89 points in the pin group (P <.001). Overall, 90% of the patients subjectively judged their conditions as good or very good. CONCLUSION: With both operating processes examined, 80% to 90% of the cases achieved good to very good results. The use of cross-pins can be recommended for fixing patellar bone quadriceps tendon autografts.