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Analysis of polyamines in biological samples by HPLC involving pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde and N-acetyl-l-cysteine

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Abstract

Polyamines (putrescine, spermine and spermidine) play a crucial role in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, death and function. Accurate measurement of these substances is essential for studying their metabolism in cells. This protocol describes detailed procedures for sample preparation and HPLC analysis of polyamines and related molecules (e.g., agmatine and cadaverine) in biological samples. The method is optimized for the deproteinization of samples, including biological fluids (e.g., 10 μl), plant and animal tissues (e.g., 50 mg), and isolated/cultured cells (e.g., 1 × 106 cells). The in-line reaction of polyamines with o-phthalaldehyde and N-acetyl-l-cysteine yields fluorescent derivatives which are separated on a reversed-phase C18 column and detected by a fluorometer at an excitation wavelength of 340 nm and an emission wavelength of 450 nm. The total running time for each sample (including column regeneration on the automated system) is 30 min. The detection limit is 0.5 nmol/ml or 0.1 nmol/mg tissue in biological samples. The assays are linear between 1 and 50 μM for each of the polyamines. The accuracy (the nearness of an experimental value to the true value) and precision (agreement between replicate measurement) of the HPLC method are 2.5–4.2 % and 0.5–1.4 %, respectively, for biological samples, depending on polyamine concentrations and sample type. Our HPLC method is highly sensitive, specific, accurate, easily automated, and capable for the analysis of samples with different characteristics and small volume/amount, and provides a useful research tool for studying the biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology of polyamines and related substances.

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Abbreviations

HPLC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

NAC:

N-Acetyl-l-cysteine

OPA:

o-Phthaldialdehyde

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulphate

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Acknowledgments

Work in our laboratories was supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2012T50163), National Natural Science Foundation of China (u0731001, 30810103902, 31172217, 31272449, and 31272450), Chinese Universities Scientific Funds (2012RC024), the Thousand-People Talent program at China Agricultural University, National Research Initiative Competitive Grants from the Animal Reproduction Program (2008-35203-19120 and 2011-67015-20028) and Animal Growth & Nutrient Utilization Program (2008-35206-18764) of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Texas AgriLife Research Hatch project (H-8200). We are grateful to Gang Lin, Bin Wang, and Ji Yun for technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Zhaolai Dai, Zhenlong Wu, Junjun Wang & Guoyao Wu

  2. Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2471, USA

    Xiaoqiu Wang, Sichao Jia, Fuller W. Bazer & Guoyao Wu

Authors
  1. Zhaolai Dai
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  2. Zhenlong Wu
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  3. Junjun Wang
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  4. Xiaoqiu Wang
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  5. Sichao Jia
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  6. Fuller W. Bazer
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  7. Guoyao Wu
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Correspondence to Guoyao Wu.

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Dai, Z., Wu, Z., Wang, J. et al. Analysis of polyamines in biological samples by HPLC involving pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde and N-acetyl-l-cysteine. Amino Acids 46, 1557–1564 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-014-1717-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-014-1717-z

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