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The in vitro metabolic stability of histidine-dipeptides (HD), carnosine (CAR) and anserine (ANS), in human serum, and their absorption kinetics after ingesting pure carnosine or HD rich foods in humans have been investigated. Healthy women ( n = 4) went through four phases of taking one dose of either 450 mg of pure carnosine, 150 g beef (B), 150 g chicken (C), or chicken broth (CB) from 150 g chicken with a >2-week washout period between each phase. Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 100, 180, 240, and 300 min, and urine samples before and after (up to 7 h) ingesting pure carnosine or food. Both plasma and urine samples were analyzed for HD concentrations using a sensitive and selective LC–ESI-MS/MS method. CAR was undetectable in plasma after ingesting pure carnosine, B, C or CB. By contrast, plasma ANS concentration was significantly increased ( P < 0.05) after ingesting C or CB, respectively. Urinary concentrations of both CAR and ANS were 13- to 14-fold increased after ingesting B, and 14.8- and 243-fold after CB ingestion, respectively. Thus, dietary HD, which are rapidly hydrolyzed by carnosinase in plasma, and excreted in urine, may act as reactive carbonyl species sequestering agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectromettic (LC-MS/MS) approach, based on the precursor ion scanning technique using a triple-stage quadrupole, has been developed to detect free and protein-bound hislidine (His) residues modified by reactive carbonyl species (RCS) generated by lipid peroxidation. This approach has been applied to urines from Zucker obese rats, a nondiabelie animal model characterized by obesity and hyperlipidemia, where RCS formation plays a key role in the development of renal and cardiac dysfunction. The immonium ion of His at m/z 110 was used as a specific product ion of His-containing peplides to generate precursor ion spectra, followed by MS2 acquisitions of each precursor ion of interest for structural characterization. By this approach, three novel adducts, which are excreted in free form only, have been identified, two of them originating from the conjugation of 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (HNE) to His, followed by reduction/oxidation of the aldehyde: His-1,4-dihydroxynonane (His-DHN), His-4-hydroxynonanoic acid (His-HNA), and carnosine-HNE, this last recognized in previous in vitro studies as a new potential biomarker of carbonyl stress. No free His-HNE was found in urines, which was detected only in protein hydrolysates The same LC-MS/MS method, working in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, has been developed, validated, and applied to quantitatively profile in Zucker urines both conventional (1,4-dihydroxynonane mercapturic acid, DHN-MA) and the newly identified adducts, except His-HNA. The analytes were separated on a Cl 2 reversed-phase column by gradient elution from 100% A (water containing 5 mM nonafluoropentanoic acid) to 80% B (acetonitrile) in 24 mm at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min and analyzed for quantification in MIRM mode by applying the following precursor-to-production transitions m/z 322.2 → 164.1 + 130.1 (DHN-MA), m/z 314.7-268.2 + 110.1 (His- DHN), m/z 312.2 → 110.1 + 156.0 (His-HNE), m/z 383.1 → 266.2 + 110.1 (CAR-HNE), m/z 319.2 → 301.6 + 156.5 (H-Tyr-His-OH, internal standard). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the profiles and immunnoreactivity of proteins from human peripheral nerve (HPN) tissue, the main pathological target of Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS), and from Campylobacter (C) jejuni, as the most often causative agent for GBS.

A procedure for the simultaneous determination of lead and cadmium in TiO2 by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) has been developed. The key feature of the method is the use of triethanolamine (TEA) to remove titanium interference: TiO2 undergoes acidic digestion with HF/H2SO4 at atmospheric pressure, TEA is added to the HCl solution of the residue and the solution is analysed using a standard ASV instrumentation, equipped with a hanging mercury drop electrode. The calibration curves for both lead and cadmium are linear up to 50 μg l−1 of solution, and the detection limits are 1 μg l−1, corresponding to 1 μg g−1 of TiO2. Method reliability was tested by comparing the results with those given by electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy. The method has been successfully applied for determination of both contaminants in powdered titanium dioxide (raw materials) and in titanium dioxide-containing cosmetics (sunscreen products). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for developing pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases as well as some forms of cancer. Understanding the mechanisms by which smoking contributes to disease remains a major research focus. Increased levels of carbonylated serum proteins are present in smokers; albumin is the major carbonylated protein in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of older smokers. We have investigated the susceptibility of human serum albumin (HSA) to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde-induced carbonylation when exposed to whole-phase cigarette smoke extract (CSE). Fluorescence studies with fluorescent probes showed depletion of HSA Cys34 free thiol and marked decrease of free Lys residues. Spectrophotometric and immunochemical carbonyl assays after carbonyl derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine revealed the formation of covalent carbonyl adducts. Nanoscale capillary liquid chromatography and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry analysis detected acrolein and crotonaldehyde Michael adducts at Cys34, Lys525, Lys351, and His39 at all the CSE concentrations tested. Lys541 and Lys545 were also found to form a Schiff base with acrolein. The carbonyl scavenger drugs, hydralazine and pyridoxamine, partially prevented CSE-induced HSA carbonylation. Carbonylation of HSA associated with cigarette smoking might result in modifications of its antioxidant properties and transport functions of both endogenous and exogenous compounds.

Reactive carbonyl species (RCS) generated by lipid peroxidation, leading to protein carbonylation, are involved in several human diseases. Protein carbonylation constitutes one of the best characterised biomarker of oxidative damage to proteins. Albumin and actin have been identified, through different proteomic approaches, as the main protein targets for RCS in plasma and tissues, respectively. By a combined LC-MS/MS and computational approach, we have demonstrated their high reactivity towards alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes, and established the stoichiometry of reaction with HNE and acrolein, as well as the amino acid residues more susceptible to carbonyl attack. A new mass spectrometric approach, based on LC-MS/MS analysis of tag HNE/ACR-modified peptides of carbonylated albumin and actin is proposed, and the advantages over the conventional methods for RCS and RCS-adducted protein analyses discussed.