Spatiotemporal pharmacometabolomics based on ambient mass spectrometry imaging to evaluate the metabolism and hepatotoxicity of amiodarone in HepG2 spheroids

Three-dimensional(3D)cell spheroid models combined with mass spectrometry imaging(MSI)enables innovative investigation of in vivo-like biological processes under different physiological and pathological conditions.Herein,airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization-MSI(AFADESI-MSI)was coupled with 3D HepG2 spheroids to assess the metabolism and hepatotoxicity of amiodarone(AMI).High-coverage imaging of>1100 endogenous metabolites in hepatocyte spheroids was achieved using AFADESI-MSI.Following AMI treatment at different times,15 metabolites of AMI involved in Ndesethylation,hydroxylation,deiodination,and desaturation metabolic reactions were identified,and according to their spatiotemporal dynamics features,the metabolic pathways of AMI were proposed.Subsequently,the temporal and spatial changes in metabolic disturbance within spheroids caused by drug exposure were obtained via metabolomic analysis.The main dysregulated metabolic pathways included arachidonic acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism,providing considerable evidence for the mechanism of AMI hepatotoxicity.In addition,a biomarker group of eight fatty acids was selected that provided improved indication of cell viability and could characterize the hepatotoxicity of AMI.The combination of AFADESI-MSI and HepG2 spheroids can simultaneously obtain spatiotemporal information for drugs,drug metabolites,and endogenous metabolites after AMI treatment,providing an effective tool for in vitro drug hepatotoxicity evaluation.

Rapid authentication of different herbal medicines by heating online extraction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The rapid and accurate authentication of traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)has always been a key scientific and technical problem in the field of pharmaceutical analysis.Herein,a novel heating online extraction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(H-oEESI-MS)was developed for the rapid and direct analysis of extremely complex substances without the requirement for any sample pretreatment or pre-separation steps.The overall molecular profile and fragment structure features of various herbal medicines could be completely captured within 10–15 s,with minimal sample(<0.5 mg)and solvent consumption(<20μL for one sample).Furthermore,a rapid differentiation and authentication strategy for TCMs based on H-oEESI-MS was proposed,including metabolic profile characterization,characteristic marker screening and identification,and multivariate statistical analysis model validation.In an analysis of 52 batches of seven types of Aconitum medicinal materials,20 and 21 key compounds were screened out as the characteristic markers of raw and processed Aconitum herbal medicines,respectively,and the possible structures of all the characteristic markers were comprehensively identified based on Compound Discoverer databases.Finally,multivariate statistical analysis showed that all the different types of herbal medicines were well differentiated and identified(R^(2)X>0.87,R^(2)Y>0.91,and Q^(2)>0.72),which further verified the feasibility and reliability of this comprehensive strategy for the rapid authentication of different TCMs based on H-oEESI-MS.In summary,this rapid authentication strategy realized the ultra-high-throughput,low-cost,and standardized detection of various complex TCMs for the first time,thereby demonstrating wide applicability and value for the development of quality standards for TCMs.

Integrated mass spectrometry imaging reveals spatial-metabolic alteration in diabetic cardiomyopathy and the intervention effects of ferulic acid

Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)is a metabolic disease and a leading cause of heart failure among people with diabetes.Mass spectrometry imaging(MSI)is a versatile technique capable of combining the molecular specificity of mass spectrometry(MS)with the spatial information of imaging.In this study,we used MSI to visualize metabolites in the rat heart with high spatial resolution and sensitivity.We optimized the air flow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization(AFADESI)-MSI platform to detect a wide range of metabolites,and then used matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization(MALDI)-MSI for increasing metabolic coverage and improving localization resolution.AFADESI-MSI detected 214 and 149 metabolites in positive and negative analyses of rat heart sections,respectively,while MALDI-MSI detected 61 metabolites in negative analysis.Our study revealed the heterogenous metabolic profile of the heart in a DCM model,with over 105 region-specific changes in the levels of a wide range of metabolite classes,including carbohydrates,amino acids,nucleotides,and their derivatives,fatty acids,glycerol phospholipids,carnitines,and metal ions.The repeated oral administration of ferulic acid during 20 weeks significantly improved most of the metabolic disorders in the DCM model.Our findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying DCM and the potential of ferulic acid as a therapeutic agent for treating this condition.

Host cell protein quantification workflow using optimized standards combined with data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry

Monitoring of host cell proteins(HCPs)during the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies(mAb)has become a critical requirement to provide effective and safe drug products.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are still the gold standard methods for the quantification of protein impurities.However,this technique has several limitations and does,among others,not enable the precise identification of proteins.In this context,mass spectrometry(MS)became an alternative and orthogonal method that delivers qualitative and quantitative information on all identified HCPs.However,in order to be routinely implemented in biopharmaceutical companies,liquid chromatography-MS based methods still need to be standardized to provide highest sensitivity and robust and accurate quantification.Here,we present a promising MS-based analytical workflow coupling the use of an innovative quantification standard,the HCP Profiler solution,with a spectral library-based data-independent acquisition(DIA)method and strict data validation criteria.The performances of the HCP Profiler solution were compared to more conventional standard protein spikes and the DIA approach was benchmarked against a classical datadependent acquisition on a series of samples produced at various stages of the manufacturing process.While we also explored spectral library-free DIA interpretation,the spectral library-based approach still showed highest accuracy and reproducibility(coefficients of variation<10%)with a sensitivity down to the sub-ng/mg mAb level.Thus,this workflow is today mature to be used as a robust and straightforward method to support mAb manufacturing process developments and drug products quality control.

Analyzing Brazilian Driver’s License Authenticity by Easy Ambient Sonic-Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Fast and unequivocal methods of questioned document analysis are essential in forensic science. Here, a desorption/ionization technique, EASI-MS, was assessed for its ability to investigate questioned driver’s licenses (DL). Two suspects DL, displaying the same personal data in the proper fields (name and ID numbers), but with different individual photos, showing similar impressions on microscopic analysis, and authentic standards documents specimens were used as test cases. Profiles from authentic DL surface were dominated by a set of few minor ions, mainly from the plasticizers bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and dibutylphthalate. The seized suspect counterfeit DL on points from personal data and photo were, however, dominated by abundant diagnostic ions of m/z 463, 507, 551, 595, 639, 683, which confirmed counterfeiting. Surfynol® and Nonoxynol-9®, which are common constituents of inkjet printing, were detected in the counterfeiting areas by high-accuracy EASI(+)-FT-ICR MS. The EASI-MS technique is shown therefore to offer an attractive tool for forensic investigation of questioned documents.

Rapid and sensitive analysis of trace b-blockers by magnetic solidphase extraction coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive method for analyzing trace b-blockers in complex biological samples,which involved magnetic solid-phase extraction(MSPE)coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry(FTICR-MS),was developed.Novel nanosilver-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with an interlayer of poly(3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine)(polyDOPA@Ag-MNPs)were synthesized and used as MSPE adsorbents to extract trace b-blockers from biological samples.After extraction,the analytes loaded on the polyDOPA@Ag-MNPs were desorbed using an organic solvent and analyzed by FTICR-MS.The method was rapid and sensitive,with a total detection procedure of less than 10 min as well as limits of detection and quantification in the ranges of 3.5-6.8 pg/mL and 11.7-22.8 pg/mL,respectively.The accuracy of the method was also desirable,with recoveries ranging from 80.9%to 91.0%following the detection of analytes in human blood samples.All the experimental results demonstrated that the developed MSPE-FTICR-MS method was suitable for the rapid and sensitive analysis of trace b-blockers in complex biological samples.

A novel sample preparation method of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry for polystyrene

A novel sample preparation method of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for polystyrene was reported. Compared to the conventional dried-droplet method, the efficiency of ionization and signal intensity of mass spectra were improved. The mechanism was also analyzed.

Studies on Fragmentation of Peptide by Nano-electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Multi-stage Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The sequence analysis of peptides was performed by nano-electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance tandem mass spectrometry（Nano-ESI-FT-ICR-MSn） and several peptides were chosen as examples. With the aid of the collision induced dissociation（CID）, FT-ICR provides not only precise mass/charge ratio, but also structure information of the selected peptides. The fragment ions were identified according to the observed molecular weights and peptide sequence was determined successfully. So Nano-ESI-FT-ICR-MSn is a useful tool for identification of the amino acid sequence of peptides with high confidence. Besides, a pathway for the dehydration of y ions without amino acids containing carboxylic acid under sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation（SORI-CID） condition was proposed.

Quadrupole-Linear Ion Trap Tandem Mass Spectrometry System for Clinical Biomarker Analysis

The accurate and efficient measurement of small molecule disease markers for clinical diagnosis is of great importance.In this study,a quadrupole-linear ion trap(Q-LIT)tandem mass spectrometer was designed and built in our laboratory.Target precursor ions were first selected in the quadrupole,and then injected,trapped,and fragmented simultaneously in the linear ion trap(LIT)to reduce the space charge effect,enrich the target product ions,and promote sensitivity.The targeted analytes were measured with selected reaction monitoring using a positive scan mode with electrospray ionization(ESI).Ions with a mass-to-charge ratio(m/z)ranging from 195 to 2022 were demonstrated.When scanning at 1218amu.s^(-1),unit resolution and an accuracy of higher than m/z 0.28 was obtained for m/z up to 2000.The dimensionless Mathieu parameter(q)value used in this study was 0.40 for collision-induced dissociation(CID),which was activated by resonance excitation.And an overall CID efficiency of 64%was achieved(activation time,50 ms).Guanidinoacetic acid(GAA)and creatine(CRE)were used as model compounds for small molecule clinical biomarkers.The limits of quantification were 1.0 and 0.2 nmol.L^(-1)for GAA and CRE,respectively.A total of 77 actual samples were successfully analyzed by the home-built ESI-Q-LIT tandem mass spectrometry system.The developed method can reduce matrix interference,minimize space charge effects,and avoid the chromatographic separation of complex samples to simplify the pretreatment process.This novel Q-LIT system is expected to be a good candidate for the determination of biomarkers in clinical diagnosis and therapeutics.

Structural Characterization of Anhydroicaritin Glycosides Using ESI-FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) was used to determine the structures of anhydroicaritin glycosides by the MS/MS experiments of anhydroicaritin glycosides and their methylated derivatives. With high accuracy FT-ICR-MS provides much information about the structures of compounds, FT-ICR-MS shows the great potential application in the structural characterization of unknown compounds.

Qualitative and Semi-quantitative Analysis of Quaternary Alkaloids in Coptis-scute Herb Couple by Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

A practical solution of qualitatively analyzing quaternary alkaloids in coptis-scute herb couple by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry（ES1-MS） was developed. Without the complicated pretreatment of sample, thc active ingredients including berberine, palmatine, coptisine, jatrorrhizine, epiberberine, and columbamine were identified and some relative content changing rules of alkaloids in coptis-scute couple were summarized in this article. The overall profiles of the complex extracts were obtained. After adding an internal standard（rutaecarpine）, semi-quantitative analysis was performed and the result indicates that the actual content of alkaloids was decreased by increasing the amount of scute. Based on the data obtained by high-performance capillary electrophoresis（HPCE）, the feasibility of semi-quantitative analysis by ES1-MS was further proved.

Rapid Profiling of Alkaloids in Several Medicinal Herbs by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

A simple method was developed for rapid and direct profiling of alkaloids in medical herbs via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF MS）. The dry herbs were first ground to powder and passed through a stainless steel sieve, mixed with the matrix solution to form a homogeneous suspension, which was then directly applied to MALDI analysis. Several matrices were investigated and 2,5- dihydroxybenzoic acid（DHB） was chosen as the optimized one, and the particle with small size was found to favor the analysis. Using this method, the profiles of alkaloids in several medical herbs were readily obtained, and the toxicities of crude and processed Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata were compared via the relative intensities of the peaks of the corresponding toxic components shown in their MALDI spectra. This method therefore provides a rapid and reliable protocol for obtaining profiles of alkaloids in medical herbs by using MALDI-TOF MS.

Direct detection and identification of active pharmaceutical ingredients in intact tablets by helium plasma ionization(HePI) mass spectrometry

A simple modification converts an electrospray ion source to an ambient-pressure helium plasma ionization source without the need of additional expensive hardware. Peaks for active ingredients were observed in the spectra recorded from intact pharmaceutical tablets placed in this source. A flow of heated nitrogen was used to thermally desorb analytes to gas phase. The desorption temperatures were sometimes as low as 50 ℃. For example, negative-ion spectra recorded from an aspirin tablet showed peaks at m/z 137 （salicylate anion） and 179 （acetylsalicylate anion） which were absent in the background spectra. The overall ion intensity increased as the desorption gas temperature was elevated. Within the same acquisition experiment, both positive- and negative-ion signals for acetaminophen were recorded from volatiles emanating from Tylenol tablets by switching the polarity of the capillary back and forth. Moreover, different preparations of acetaminophen tablets could be distinguished by their ion-intensity thermograms.

Analysis of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine via Thin Layer Chromatography Coupled to Easy Ambient Sonic-Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Cocaine and crack cocaine are usually seized with a great diversity of adulterants, such as benzocaine, lidocaine, caffeine, and procaine. The forensic identification of cocaine in these drug mixtures is normally performed using colorimetric testing kits, but these tests may suffer from interferences providing false-positive or false-negatives. In this work, we describe the use of thin layer chromatography coupled to easy sonic-spray ambient ionization mass spectrometry (TLC/EASI-MS) for rapid and secure analysis of cocaine and crack cocaine. Fifteen cocaine samples were analyzed, and all of them revealed positive TLC/EASI-MS results for cocaine, but other drugs and adulterants were also detected such as lidocaine, caffeine, benzocaine, lactose, benzoylecgonine, and ecgonidine. False positives and false negatives, as judged by the TLC Rf values, were identified via on-spot characterization by EASI-MS. The TLC/EASI-MS combination seems therefore to provide an appropriate technique for secure forensic investigations of illicit drugs.

Detection and Characterization of Non-covalent Complex between Lappaconitine and β-Cyclodextrin by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The non-covalent complexes between lappaconitine （LA） and β-cyclodextrin （β-CD） have been detected and characterized by electrospray ionization combined with ion trap tandem mass spectrometry （ESI-MSn）. The experimental results showed that only 1：1 non-covalent complex can be formed in different starting molar ratios of LA to β-CD. Furthermore, the diagnostic fragmentation of the β-CD-LA complex, with a significant contribution of covalent fragmentation of LA leaving the N-acetyl anthranoyl （AN） moiety inserted to β-CD, provided the convincing evidence for the formation of non-covalent complex between LA and β-CD and the cite of LA molecule included to cavity of β-CD assigned to AN residue.

Direct Determination of Polychlorinated-Biphenyls in Automotive Shredder Residues by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

An easy and rapid method is proposed for the determination of PCBs in automotive shredder residues, using gas chromatography combined with low resolution mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It is based on direct n-hexane solid-liquid extraction, subtracting background of the lineal aliphatic hydrocarbon interferences and integration of chromatographic peaks containing selected ion PCBs masses (256, 292 and 326 m/z), which are common in all PCBs formulations. Recoveries were in the 80% - 120% range;PCBs were detected and quantified in shredder samples from an automotive shredder industry, thus indicating the validity of the method.

Chemical Fingerprinting of Counterfeits of Viagra and Cialis Tablets and Analogues via Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is shown to provide an efficient tech- nique for the investigation of polar composition of forensic tablets for male erectile dysfunction. ESI-MS fingerprinting of 41 commercial sildenafil samples (Viagra?, Cialis?, Lazar?, Libiden?, , Maxfil?, , Plenovit?, Potent 75?, Rigix?, V-50?, Vimax?, Pramil 75? and Pramil?) and 56 counterfeit samples (Viagra and Cialis) were obtained. The spectra for the authentic Viagra? tablets showed abundant ions exclusively corresponding to the sildenafil (SLD) molecule: [SLD + H]+ of m/z 475;[SLD + Na]+ of m/z 497;and [2SLD + H]+ of m/z 949. The spectra for com-mercial sildenafil samples also showed predominat SLD ions. Tablets of authentic Cialis? showed mainly ions of m/z 343, 365 and 707 from the lactose molecule (the excipient);as well as a minor ion of m/z 390 corresponding to the active ingredient tadalafil (TAD) in its protonated form [TAD + H]+. For counterfeit Cialis samples, how-ever, normally TAD ions of much high abundances was observed, together with ions corresponding to sildenafil analogues such as those of m/z 489 (homosildenafil) and 505 (hydroxyhomosildenafil). Principal component analysis was applied to ESI-MS fingerprint data, placing samples according to their contents of active ingredients hence authentic and counterfeit samples are easily recognized.

Mass spectrometry analysis of intact protein N-glycosylation signatures of cells and sera in pancreatic adenocarcinomas

Pancreatic cancer is among the most malignant cancers,and thus early intervention is the key to better survival outcomes.However,no methods have been derived that can reliably identify early precursors of development into malignancy.Therefore,it is urgent to discover early molecular changes during pancreatic tumorigenesis.As aberrant glycosylation is closely associated with cancer progression,numerous efforts have been made to mine glycosylation changes as biomarkers for diagnosis;however,detailed glycoproteomic information,especially site-specific N-glycosylation changes in pancreatic cancer with and without drug treatment,needs to be further explored.Herein,we used comprehensive solid-phase chemoenzymatic glycoproteomics to analyze glycans,glycosites,and intact glycopeptides in pancreatic cancer cells and patient sera.The profiling of N-glycans in cancer cells revealed an increase in the secreted glycoproteins from the primary tumor of MIA PaCa-2 cells,whereas human sera,which contain many secreted glycoproteins,had significant changes of glycans at their specific glycosites.These results indicated the potential role for tumor-specific glycosylation as disease biomarkers.We also found that AMG-510,a small molecule inhibitor against Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog(KRAS)G12C mutation,profoundly reduced the glycosylation level in MIA PaCa-2 cells,suggesting that KRAS plays a role in the cellular glycosylation process,and thus glycosylation inhibition contributes to the anti-tumor effect of AMG-510.

Rapid analysis of metal ions and organic compounds in strong acidic solutions by nano-ESI mass spectrometry

Rapid analysis of metal ions and organic compounds in strong acidic solutions is of sustainable interest in multiple disciplines.However,complicated and time-consuming pretreatments are always required for MS analysis of the compounds in strong acidic solutions.Otherwise,it will result in a weak signal and cause serious damage to the mass spectrometer.Herein,a simple method inherited from nano-ESI MS was developed for rapid analysis of strong acidic solutions.Nanoliter(nL)strong acidic solution was first loaded in the nano-ESI emitter,followed by evaporation to remove the H+and leave the analytes on the wall of the nano-ESI emitter.The evaporation process can be completed within 1 min because of the extremely tiny volume(≤1 nL)of the loaded solution.Then,the dried analytes on the wall of the nano-ESI emitter were redissolved by loading a new solvent,followed by nano-ESI MS analysis.By using this method,metal ions and organic compounds in the strong acidic solution can be detected with low sample consumption(1 nL),high speed(<2 min/sample),high sensitivity(limit of detection=0.2µg/L),and high accuracy(>90%).Proof-of-concept applications of the present method have been successfully achieved for the analysis of gastric juice(pH of the sample=1),monitoring reaction catalyzed by strong acid(pH of the system=0),and micro-area analysis of ores(pH of the extraction solvent=0),showing great application potential in multiple fields.

On-tissue chemical derivatization enables spatiotemporal heterogeneity visualization of oxylipins in esophageal cancer xenograft via ambient mass spectrometry imaging

On-tissue chemical derivatization(OTCD)effectively enhances ionization efficiency of low abundant and poorly ionized functional molecules to improve detection sensitivity and coverage of mass spectrometry imaging(MSI).Combination OTCD and MSI provides a novel strategy for visualizing previously undisclosed metabolic heterogeneity in tumor.Herein,we present a method to visualize heterogeneous metabolism of oxylipins within tumor by coupling OTCD with airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization(AFADESI)-MSI.Taking Girard’s P as a derivatization reagent,easily ionized hydrazide and quaternary amine groups were introduced into the structure of carbonyl metabolites via condensation reaction.Oxylipins,including 127 fatty aldehydes(FALs)and 71 oxo fatty acids(FAs),were detected and imaged in esophageal cancer xenograft with AFADESI-MSI after OTCD.Then t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding and random forest were exploited to precisely locate the distribution of oxylipins in heterogeneous tumor tissue.With this method,we surprisingly found almost all FALs and oxo FAs significantly accumulated in the core region of tumor,and exhibited a gradual increase trend in tumor over time.These results reveal spatiotemporal heterogeneity of oxylipins in tumor progression,highlighting the value of OTCD combined with MSI to gain deeper insights into understanding tumor metabolism.