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Biomedical subjects

M A Curtis

Publications and source records attributed to M A Curtis.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Maturation of the arginine-specific proteases of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 is dependent on a functional prR2 protease gene.

The prpR1 of Porphyromonas gingivalis codes for three distinct enzymes with specificity for arginyl peptide bonds termed RI, RIA, and RIB. These three isoforms comprise the majority of the extracellular, arginine-specific protease activity in P. gingivalis W50. RI is a heterodimer in which the catalytic alpha chain is noncovalently associated with a second chain involved in adherence phenomena. RIA and RIB are both monomeric species. RIA represents the free alpha chain, and RIB is a highly posttranslationally modified form of the alpha chain which is exclusively vesicle or membrane associated and migrates as a diffuse band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In previous studies, insertional inactivation of the prpR1 demonstrated that arginine-specific protease activity can also arise from a closely related second gene, prR2. In the present work, the prR2 was insertionally inactivated in P. gingivalis W50 in order to establish the contribution of this locus to the arginine-specific protease activity of this periodontal bacterium. Loss of prR2 function had several effects on prpR1-derived enzymes. First, the total Arg-X activity was reduced by approximately 50% relative to that of the parent strain. The reduction in total activity was a consequence of decreased concentrations of the monomeric enzymes derived from the prpR1, while the heterodimeric enzyme, RI, was unaffected by this mutation. Second, the chromatographic behavior of both the soluble and vesicle- or membrane-associated monomeric enzymes was radically different from the behavior of RIA and RIB from the parent strain. Finally, the vesicle- or membrane-associated enzyme in the prR2 mutant strain lacked the extensive posttranslational additions which are found on RIB in P. gingivalis W50. These data suggest that the product(s) of the prR2 plays a significant role in the maturation pathway of prpR1-derived enzymes, and this may contribute to the coconservation of these two genes in P. gingivalis.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

The East London Study of Maternal Chronic Periodontal Disease and Preterm Low Birth Weight Infants: study design and prevalence data.

The influence of subject-based and environmental factors on the balance between the subgingival microbial challenge and the host response in periodontal diseases illustrates the intimate link between oral and systemic health. From this stems the hypothesis that the persistent Gram-negative challenge and associated inflammatory sequelae in periodontal disease may have consequences extending beyond the periodontal tissues themselves. This paper addresses the design of a case-control study to examine the relationship between preterm low birth weight (PLBW) and maternal periodontal disease. We present preliminary data on the prevalence of these 2 conditions in a group of mothers at the Royal Hospitals Trust, London, U.K. Cases are defined as mothers delivering an infant weighing less than 2,500g before 37 weeks gestation and controls as mothers delivering an infant of more than 2,500g after 38 weeks. We estimated that a study involving 800 mothers (1:3 case:control) should have sufficient power to detect an association with a minimum odds ration of 3 at the 5% significance level. Demographic details of 177 subjects demonstrated that they were representative of the local population, and the prevalence of PLBW was within the expected range. However, the extent and severity of periodontal disease were higher than predicted and may have reflected elevations in gingival inflammation associated with pregnancy. The final outcome of the study should help determine the need for further interventionist studies to demonstrate a causal relationship between periodontal disease and PLBW, as well as provide information on the prevalence of periodontal diseases in this study population.

Adolescent↗

Biochemical characterization of the arginine-specific proteases of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 suggests a common precursor.

Extracellular proteases of Porphyromonas gingivalis specific for arginyl peptide bonds are considered to be important virulence factors in periodontal disease. In order to determine the number, inter-relationship and kinetic properties of these proteases, extracellular enzymes with this peptide-bond specificity were purified and characterized from P. gingivalis W50. Three forms, which we denote RI, RI-A and RI-B, accounted for all of the activity in the supernatant. All three enzymes contain an alpha chain of approximately 54 kDa with the same N-terminal amino acid sequence. RI is a heterodimer of non-covalently linked alpha and beta chains which migrate to the same position on SDS/PAGE but which can be resolved by 8 M urea/PAGE. RI-A and RI-B are both monomeric, but the molecular mass of RI-B (70-80 kDa) is significantly increased due to post-translational modification with lipopolysaccharide. All forms show absolute specificity for peptide bonds with Arg in the P1 position and are also capable of hydrolysing N-terminal Arg and C-terminal Arg-Arg peptide bonds. Thus they show limited amino- and carboxy-peptidase activity. For the hydrolysis of Nalpha-benzoyl-L-Arg-p-nitroanilide, the pH optimum is 8.0 at 30 degrees C. The Vmax for all three enzymes is controlled by ionization of two residues with apparent pKas at 30 degrees C of 6. 5+/-0.05 and 9.7+/-0.05, and DeltaH values of approximately 29 kJ/mol and approximately 24 kJ/mol in the enzyme-substrate complex. By analogy with papain, the pKa of 6.5 could be ascribed to a Cys and the pKa of 9.7 to a His residue. E-64 [L-trans-epoxysuccinyl-leucylamide-4-(4-guanidino)butane] is a competitive inhibitor of RI, RI-A and RI-B. Based on physical properties and kinetic behaviour, RI-A appears to be analogous to gingipain from P. gingivalis HG66. However the alpha/beta structure of RI differs significantly from that of the high-molecular-mass multimeric complex of gingipain containing four haemagglutinins described by others. Since the genes for RI and high-molecular-mass gingipain are identical, the data indicate that an alternative processing pathway is involved in the formation of RI from the initial precursor. Furthermore, the identical N-termini and enzymic properties of the catalytic component of RI, RI-A and RI-B suggest that the maturation pathway of the RI precursor may also give rise to RI-A and RI-B. The physiological functions of these isoforms and their role in the disease process may become more apparent through examination of their interactions with host proteins.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Telomeric fusion and chromosome instability in multiple tissues of a patient with mosaic Ullrich-Turner syndrome.

We describe the cytogenetic evolution of multiple cell lines in the gonadal tissue of a 10-year-old girl with mosaic Ullrich-Turner syndrome (UTS) involving clonal telomeric associations (tas) of the Y chromosome. G-band analysis of all tissues showed at least 2 cell lines; 45, X and 46,X,tas(Y;21)(q12;p13). However, analysis of left gonadal tissue of this patient showed the evolution of 2 additional cell lines, one designated 45,X,tas(Y;21)(q12;p13),-22 and the other 46,X,tas(Y;21)(q12;p13),+tas(Y;14)(q12;p13), -22. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of interphase nuclei from uncultured gonadal tissue confirmed the findings of aneuploidy in the left gonadal tissue and extended the findings of aneuploidy to the tissue of the right gonad. The chromosome findings in the gonadal tissue of this patient suggest a preneoplastic karyotype relating to several distinct tumor associations. The clonal evolution of telomeric fusions indicates chromosomes instability and suggests the extra copy of the Y chromosome may have resulted from a fusion-related malsegregation. In addition, the extra Y suggests low-level amplification of a putative gonadoblastoma gene, while the loss of chromosome 22 suggests the loss of heterozygosity for genes on chromosome 22. This case demonstrates the utility of the study of gonadal tissue in 45,X/46XY UTS patients, and provides evidence that clonal telomeric fusions may, in rare cases, be associated with chromosome malsegregation and with the subsequent evolution of unstable karyotypes.

Child↗

Permeability of the gingival tissues to IgM during an experimental gingivitis study in man.

Changes in the permeability of the underlying vasculature of the gingival crevice region may occur either as part of an inflammatory response during gingivitis or as a response to trauma during collection of gingival crevicular fluid IgM was selected as a marker of permeability and the concentration in gingival crevicular fluid was determined immunochemically by dot blotting, using rabbit antihuman IgM specific for mu chain. Gingival crevicular fluid samples were derived from experimental (non-cleaning) and control (cleaning) sites in six individuals participating in a 28-day experimental gingivitis study using a split-mouth protocol. The fluid was collected by a filter-paper method. At each site, four gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected for 5 s each over a 3-min period and a fifth sample was collected after a further 6 min. IgM was detected in 7/30 experimental strips at baseline (after intensive professional prophylaxis) and this increased to 21/30 by 24 days: control values were 13/30 and 12/30, respectively. The data indicate that IgM was detected with greater frequency as gingivitis becomes evident, suggesting increased permeability in response to plaque accumulation. IgM was detected in 17/120 of the first strip samples, collected over the 66-day study period, whereas in the fifth strip samples IgM was detected in 68/120, and the concentration of IgM in gingival crevicular fluid also increased, indicating that sequential collection induced permeability. It is concluded that the permeability of the gingiva changes in response to both an inflammatory stimulus and trauma due to collection.

Adult↗

The prpR1 and prR2 arginine-specific protease genes of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 produce five biochemically distinct enzymes.

The arginine-specific protease activity of Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered to be an important factor in the pathogenic potential of this organism in destructive periodontal disease. Multiple forms of closely related Arg-x proteases are present in the culture supernatants of P. gingivalis W50. RI is a heterodimer (alpha/beta) in which the catalytic alpha chain is associated with a second beta chain which functions as a haemagglutinin. RIA is a single-chain enzyme (alpha) and RIB is a highly post-translationally lipid-modified enzyme (LPS-alpha) with reduced solubility compared to the other two forms. The N-terminal sequence of the alpha chain of all three forms is identical, suggesting that all these enzymes may arise by differential processing of the prpR1 (protease polyprotein for RI). In the present study we constructed a prpR1- strain of P. gingivalis W50 by insertional gene inactivation and characterized the residual extracellular Arg-x protease activity of the resulting mutant. Loss of prpR1 expression led to the abolition of RI, RIA and RIB but the total Arg-x activity in the supernatant of this strain was reduced by only c. 66%. The remaining activity was composed of two novel forms of Arg-x protease (RIIA and RIIB) which appeared to be structurally and kinetically almost identical to RIA and RIB, respectively, except for two amino acid differences in the N-terminus at position 8 (Q-->E) and position 17 (A-->P) and with respect to their stability to high pH. Confirmation that RIIA and RIIB are the products of a homologous locus (prR2) was obtained by cloning and sequencing the prR2 which showed the predicted substitutions in the deduced translation. These data indicate that RI, RIA and RIB are produced by prpR1 expression and a maturation pathway which can give rise to a dimer and an unmodified- or LPS-modified catalytic monomer. Furthermore, RIIA and RIIB, the products of prR2, are exported into the culture supernatant in the absence of prpR1 expression and these forms may also contribute to the pathogenic potential of this organism in destructive disease.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

The relationship between colonization and haemagglutination inhibiting and B cell epitopes of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Passive immunization with the monoclonal antibody 61BG1.3 selectively prevents colonization by Porphyromonas gingivalis in humans (Booth V, Ashley FP, Lehner T. Infect Immun 1996; 64:422-7). The protective MoAb recognizes the beta component of the RI protease of P. gingivalis which is formed by proteolytic processing of a polyprotein precursor termed PrpR1. This subunit is both a haemagglutinin and an antigen which is recognized by sera from patients with periodontitis. In this study the relationship was investigated between a colonization epitope which is recognized by the MoAb 61BG1.3, a haemagglutinating and B cell epitope which are recognized by sera from patients with periodontitis. B cell epitopes were mapped by Western blotting with a series of truncated recombinant polypeptides spanning the adhesion domain within residues 784-1130 of PrpR1 and by ELISA using a panel of synthetic peptides spanning the same sequence. The epitope which is recognized by the protective MoAb was mapped within residues 907-931 of PrpR1, while serum responses of patients were directed predominantly to the adjacent carboxy-terminal sequence within residues 934-1042. The haemagglutinating epitope was mapped to residues 1073-1112. In view of our previous findings that the MoAb 61BG1.3 prevents colonization of P. gingivalis in vivo and inhibits haemagglutination, these two epitopes may be in proximity in the native protein. Active or passive immunization strategies which target the protective or haemagglutinating epitopes of the adhesion domain of PrpR1 may provide a means of preventing infection with P. gingivalis.

Adult↗

Natural variation within the principal arginine-specific protease gene, prpR1, of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

RI, one of the major extracellular arginine-specific proteases of Porphyromonas gingivalis is a heterodimer composed of catalytic (alpha) and adhesin (beta) chains, encoded by the gene prpR1. The distribution of prpR1 and its variation within 43 isolates of P. gingivalis was determined. Chromosomal DNA was digested with Sma I and probed with a 32P-labeled DNA fragment from within the coding region for the alpha component of P. gingivalis W50. All isolates gave the expected 3.2 kb band, corresponding to the coding region for the alpha and beta components. The presence of a second locus (prR2) homologous to the alpha region of prpR1 was also detected. The 1.7-kb alpha coding region of prpR1 was amplified for subsequent restriction analysis. Following Taq I restriction all isolates gave identical patterns. With Rsa I, the majority of isolates (77%) could be placed into a single group. In conclusion, the prpR1 and prR2 loci are maintained in natural populations of P. gingivalis, and only minor polymorphism is detectable within the catalytic domain.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Increased titre and avidity of IgG antibodies to Porphyromonas gingivalis whole cells and a cell surface protein in subjects with adult periodontitis.

The titre and avidity of IgG antibodies to Porphyromonas gingivalis whole cells and a 47 kDa cell surface protein were determined in serum samples taken from 20 subjects with adult periodontitis and 20 controls, matched for age, gender, ethnic origin and oral hygiene status. Antibody titres were measured by ELISA and antibody avidity was determined by a chaotrope-dissociation ELISA. Avidity was defined as the molarity of chaotrope required to reduce absorbance by 50% (ID50). The mean IgG antibody log titre to whole cells (8.29 vs. 6.92; p < 0.01) and to the 47 kDa antigen (7.61 vs. 6.77; p < 0.05) were higher in cases than in controls. Mean IgG antibody avidity to whole cells (4.59 vs. 2.47; p < 0.001) and to the surface protein (2.54 vs. 1.67; p < 0.001) were also higher in cases than in controls. In cases, IgG antibody titre was highly correlated with avidity for both whole cells (r = 0.878; p = < 0.001) and the 47 kDa protein (r = 0.683; p < 0.001). There was a weaker positive correlation between the titre and the avidity of antibody to whole cells (r = 0.591; p < 0.01) in the control population but antibody titre and avidity for the 47 kDa sonicate antigen were not correlated in the controls (r = 0.104). We conclude that many patients with adult periodontitis have effective humoral immunity to P. gingivalis. However, in up to half the patients with adult periodontitis, antibody titres and avidities were low and similar to control values, indicating either susceptibility due to poor host response or that disease is not associated with this particular pathogen.

Adult↗

Analysis of the protease and adhesin domains of the PrpRI of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

The production of extracellular proteolytic enzymes is a widely used strategy by human parasites including bacteria, protozoa and helminths in order to ensure survival in the colonized host. The potential benefits to the organism arise through modifications to the external environment of the cell and include the release of essential nutrients, the disablement/deregulation of the host defences and the exposure of previously shielded substrata as new sites for colonization. Damage to the host may arise through direct proteolysis of structural proteins, deregulation of the inflammatory response or the compromising of the local host defences below the threshold necessary for effective defence. In order to examine these interactions and how they may be regulated in the periodontal diseases, we are examining the properties of proteases of the oral anaerobe Porphyromonas gingivalis with specificity for arginyl peptide bonds (ArgI, ArgIA and ArgIB): a family of enzymes which has been shown to exert effects on a variety of host proteins with roles in the control of inflammation and tissue homeostasis. Analysis of the gene for ArgI (protease polyprotein for ArgI-prpRI) together with structural and immunochemical studies of these 3 interrelated forms indicates that they may be regarded as critical determinants in multiple aspects of the life cycle of the organism via both proteolysis and binding processes. Together with the highly conserved nature of the gene, the data suggest that the PrpRI of P. gingivalis is an essential colonization determinant which may play an important role in the periodontal disease process.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

A case-control study to identify farm factors affecting fertility of dairy herds: multivariate description of factors.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a multivariate model could be developed to describe farm factors affecting fertility of dairy herd and to examine the factors that determined better reproductive performance on dairy farms in New South Wales. PROCEDURE: We examined the results of a survey of breeding practices, mating policies, recording systems, timing of mating, heat detection, treatment of metritis and manager demographics of dairy farms using Principal components analysis, logistic regression and the sign test. RESULTS: Eight principal components for heat detection computed using Principal component analyses were included in the multivariate model to reflect primary and secondary heat detection signs used in the breeding decisions of managers. A final model identified three variables: optimum number of days to first service, number of people detecting heats, and age of manager which significantly influenced the risk of being in the high or low reproductive performance groups. A failure to breed at an appropriate time after calving and having more people responsible for heat detection was associated with herds with a prolonged intercalving interval. While the model provided a good fit for the data, it was not highly discriminatory. Examination of 83 management practices affecting fertility using the sign test (P = 0.01) indicated that managers of herds with good reproductive performance employed better management and breeding practices more often than managers of herds with poor reproductive performance. CONCLUSIONS: Mating cows sooner after calving and using fewer people to detect oestrus should reduce calving to conception intervals. Veterinarians investigating herd reproductive performance should consider the potential for a number of subtle failures of management to significantly impair fertility rather than limit investigations to a few factors.

Animal Husbandry↗

The Tla protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50: a homolog of the RI protease precursor (PrpRI) is an outer membrane receptor required for growth on low levels of hemin.

The prpR1 gene of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 encodes the polyprotein precursor (PrpRI) of an extracellular arginine-specific protease. PrpRI is organized into four distinct domains (pro, alpha, beta, and gamma) and is processed to a heterodimeric protease (RI) which comprises the alpha and beta components in a noncovalent association. The alpha component contains the protease active site, whereas the beta component appears to have a role in adherence and hemagglutination processes. DNA sequences homologous to the coding region for the RI beta component are present at multiple loci on the P. gingivalis chromosome and may represent a family of related genes. In this report, we describe the cloning, sequence analysis, and characterization of one of these homologous loci isolated in plasmid pJM7. The 6,041-bp P. gingivalis DNA fragment in pJM7 contains a major open reading frame of 3,291 bp with coding potential for a protein with an Mr 118,700. An internal region of the deduced sequence (V304 to N768) shows 98% identity to the beta domain of PrpRI, and the recombinant product of pJM7 is immunoreactive with an antibody specific to the RI beta component. The N terminus of the deduced sequence has regional similarity to TonB-linked receptors which are frequently involved in periplasmic translocation of hemin, iron, colicins, or vitamin B12 in other bacteria. We have therefore designated this gene tla (TonB-linked adhesin). In contrast to the parent strain, an isogenic mutant of P. gingivalis W50 in which the tla was insertionally inactivated was unable to grow in medium containing low concentrations of hemin (<2.5 mg liter(-1)), and hemin-depleted cells of this mutant failed to respond to hemin in an agar diffusion plate assay. These data suggest a role for this gene product in hemin acquisition and utilization. Furthermore, the mutant produced significantly less arginine- and lysine-specific protease activities than the parent strain, indicating that there may be a regulatory relationship between tla and other members of this gene family.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Effects of monensin on the metabolism of periparturient dairy cows.

The effects of monensin on plasma concentrations and changes in plasma concentrations of energy metabolites and minerals over time were investigated using 24 multiparous Holstein cows. Cows were paired according to farm, predicted date of calving, and body condition score and were randomly allocated to two groups. Treated cows were given a ruminal bolus containing 32 g of monensin at 50 +/- 7 d before predicted calving. Treated cows had lower plasma concentrations of glucose, free fatty acid (FFA), and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) than did control cows before calving, indicating that monensin influenced energy metabolism. However, no significant differences in plasma concentrations of glucose, FFA, and BHBA were found between groups after calving. Plasma BHBA concentrations increased more before calving in control cows, and plasma FFA and urea concentrations increased significantly before calving in all cows. No significant differences in body weight, plasma concentrations of urea, or whole blood concentrations of glutathione peroxidase were detected between groups before or after calving. Plasma ceruloplasmin activity did not differ between groups before calving, but was significantly higher in treated cows after calving. Plasma concentrations of Ca did not significantly differ between groups before or after calving. Monensin altered both energy and mineral metabolism and has the potential to improve the health and production of dairy cows.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Development of a simple chemically defined medium for Porphyromonas gingivalis: requirement for alpha-ketoglutarate.

The aim of this study was the development of a simple, defined medium for the growth of laboratory and clinical isolates of Porphyromonas gingivalis. A medium was designed in which the carbon and nitrogen requirements were provided by a single protein source--bovine serum albumin. High cell yields were achieved in this medium but growth was accompanied by a heavy blackening of the cells due to the deposition of metal sulfide(s), most probably iron(II) sulfide, at the cell surface. Good growth in the absence of blackening was achieved when the iron salt in the medium was substituted with alpha-ketoglutarate. The resultant alpha-ketoglutarate/BSA medium was able to support the growth of all laboratory and clinical P. gingivalis strains examined and should prove useful in the investigation of the physiology and nutritional regulation of virulence of this organism.

Animals↗

Common-source outbreak of acute infection due to the North American liver fluke Metorchis conjunctus.

BACKGROUND: We investigated an outbreak of acute clinical illness among 19 people who ate raw fish (sashimi) prepared from the white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, caught in a river north of Montreal, Canada. METHODS: We collected epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and serological data on 19 individuals who ate the sashimi and six who did not. Because of the suggestive clinical picture, we set out to recover helminth parasites from uneaten fish. FINDINGS: The illness consisted of persistent upper abdominal pain, low grade fever, high blood eosinophil concentrations, and raised liver enzymes. After 10 days, opisthorchild-like eggs were found in stools. Symptoms persisted for 3 days to 4 weeks without treatment, but responded rapidly to praziquantel therapy. Necropsy of golden hamsters infected with metacercariae from uneaten fish revealed adult flukes identified as Metorchis conjunctus. INTERPRETATION: We describe an acute illness caused by the North American liver fluke M conjunctus. This is a new human disease and is the first report of a common-source outbreak of an acute illness caused by liver flukes of the family Opisthorchiidae.

Adult↗

Characterization of an adherence and antigenic determinant of the ArgI protease of Porphyromonas gingivalis which is present on multiple gene products.

This study was performed to characterize the antigen(s) recognized by a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) produced to be specific for Porphyromonas gingivalis whole cells which we had previously shown to bind to epitopes recognized by sera from periodontitis patients. Preliminary data had suggested that the arginine-specific proteases of P. gingivalis (ArgI, ArgIA, and ArgIB) contained the antigenic determinants of four of these antibodies (MAbs 1A1, 2B/H9, 7D5, and 3B1). The location of the binding sites was examined with purified P. gingivalis enzymes and recombinant regions of the ArgI polyprotein expressed by subclones of the prpR1 gene in Escherichia coli XL-1 Blue cells. All four antibodies were reactive with protein determinants within the beta subunit, a hemagglutinin and/or adhesin component, of the ArgI dimer. MAb 1A1 strongly inhibited the agglutination of human erythrocytes by P. gingivalis W50 culture supernatant, suggesting that the binding site for this antibody contains residues which are critical for the interaction with the erythrocyte surface. The determinant for MAb 1A1 was examined further by construction of a set of truncated forms of the beta component expressed as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase at the N terminus. Analysis of these constructs mapped the binding site for MAb 1A1 to PrpRI residues G-907 to T-931, GVSPKVCKDV TVEGSNEFAP VQNLT. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of P. gingivalis whole-cell proteins demonstrated that MAb 1A1 reacts with several proteins in the Mr range of 20,000 to 120,000. Furthermore, an oligonucleotide probe corresponding to the coding sequence for the region of the ArgI beta component containing the MAb 1A1 binding site hybridized to multiple bands on genomic digests of P. gingivalis DNA. These data indicate that the MAb 1A1 epitope may be a component of a binding domain common to multiple gene products of this organism and may thus represent a functionally important target of the host's specific immune response to P. gingivalis in periodontal disease.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Development and validation of a gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for S(-)-2-(N-propyl-N-2-thienylethylamino)-5-hydroxytetralin (N-0923) from a transdermal delivery system.

A gradient reversed-phase HPLC method for potency determination of N-0923 (10 mg) from a transdermal delivery system (TDS), was developed and validated with single point calibration using internal standard quantitation. N-0923 and the internal standard, N-0434, are eluted from a reversed-phase C18 column using a gradient which contains 0.1 M triethylamine-0.04 M citrate buffer, pH 5.9, water, and acetonitrile with UV detection at 272 nm. N-0923 is isolated from the transdermal delivery system by extraction with n-heptane followed by extraction of the resulting organic phase with 0.1 M citric acid containing the internal standard. The method was free from matrix interferences in both untreated and forced degraded placebo delivery systems. Acceptable linearity and quantitative recovery from spiked placebo delivery systems over the range 50-150% of nominal label claim were demonstrated. Within-day assay precision from individual samples of active transdermal delivery systems (n = 10) was 5.6% R.S.D. The detection limit was at least 0.1 microgram/ml which is equivalent to 0.05% of the working standard concentration. Replicate injection precision at this level was 0.08% R.S.D. (n = 4). Analysis of thermally stressed active and placebo delivery systems with this HPLC method and photodiode-array detection showed that the chromatography was stability-indicating as demonstrated by the absence of measurable interferences from principal degradation products of either the n-0923 or the delivery system excipients.

Administration, Cutaneous↗