Characterization of acylcarnitines as their isobutyl ester derivatives using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and constant neutral loss scan

Metabolism of a novel CCK-B antagonist in rat, dog and human liver microsomes

1. The in vitro metabolism of a novel CCK-B antagonist ((+)-N-[1-adamantane-1-methyl)-2,4-dioxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H- 1, 5-benzodiazepin-3-yl]N'-phenyl-urea; GV150013X) was investigated using rat, dog and human liver microsomes. 2. Four monohydroxy and four dihydroxy metabolites of GV150013X in rat and man were identified by comparison with authentic standards using HPLC and mass spectrometry. 3. The dihydroxy metabolite M1 was not detected in dog liver microsomes mixtures. 4. The formation of dihydroxylated metabolites proceeds via monohydroxylated metabolites M5 and M8 and not directly from GV150013X. 5. A monohydroxy metabolite M5 was the major metabolite in rat and dog, with M5 and dihydroxy metabolites M2 and M3 major metabolites in man.

Rhabdomyolysis and acute encephalopathy in late onset medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency

A previously asymptomatic 30 year old man presented with rhabdomyolysis, muscle weakness, and acute encephalopathy after strenuous exertion in the cold without adequate food intake. Serum and muscle carnitine concentrations were decreased. Urinary excretion of carnitine and glycine esters and biochemical examination of skeletal muscle and fibroblasts led to the diagnosis of medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency. A point mutation at nucleotide position 985 of the coding region of the MCAD gene was found. The MCAD protein was synthesised in the patient's fibroblasts at a normal rate, but was unstable. In general, patients in whom the 985 point mutation has been established show much more severe clinical symptoms and other symptoms than those seen in this patient. The relation of the 985 point mutation and the residual MACD activity to the symptoms is not as straightforward as previously thought.

Bioanalytical applications of tandem mass spectrometry in the in vitro metabolism of the anticholinergic drug cimetropium bromide to detect differences in species metabolism

1. In vitro metabolism of the anticholinergic drug, cimetropium bromide, was investigated using four different animal hepatic microsomal incubates derived from rat, hamster, guinea pig, and mouse livers. 2. Constant neutral loss (CNL) tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect the presence of the N-methylenecyclopropyl-scopine functionality by monitoring loss of 54 daltons (corresponding to loss of methylenecyclopropane) in microsomal incubates. 3. A CNL loss of 46 daltons was used to screen for the presence of ester hydrolysis products. 4. A comparison of the daughter ion spectra obtained on ions detected by CNL scanning, with daughter ion spectra of synthetic standards, determined the presence of ten metabolites of cimetropium bromide. 5. Hydroxylation of the aromatic ring in the ester side-chain was found to be the major metabolic pathway, and ester bond hydrolysis was a minor metabolic pathway. 6. N-Demethylation of the bridgehead nitrogen was observed only in rat and hamster incubates. 7. Using the method of CNL scanning it was possible to screen different animal microsomal incubates without resorting to any major purification procedures such as h.p.l.c. 8. This scanning method revealed differences between species in the metabolic pathways of cimetropium bromide.

Fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometric analysis of N-carbamoylamino acids

Using fast atom bombardment (FAB) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), we examined 12 synthetic N-carbamoylamino acids (CAA) as tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivatives. In FAB mass spectrometry and FAB MS/MS, spectra of protonated molecules for CAA provide specific cleavages involving the TBDMS carbamoyl moiety. The daughter scan spectrum of the parent ion indicated that it was useful for structural elucidation and differentiation of structural isomers of CAA. We have also identified each CAA separately in a mixture using a neutral loss scan for characteristic ions. In addition, we demonstrated that CAA in urine samples from patients with ornithine carbamoyl transferase deficiency gave collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra which correspond well with CID spectra obtained using synthetically prepared CAA.