title: Assay of the human liver citric acid cycle probe phenylacetylglutamine and of phenylacetate in plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: Phenylacetate, derived from phenylalanine, is converted in human and primate liver to phenylacetylglutamine. The latter has been used to assess the labeling pattern of liver citric acid cycle intermediates. We present gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric assays of phenylacetylglutamine, phenylacetate, and phenylalanine in biological fluids. The compounds are derivatized with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal. Limits of detection are 0.1 nmol for phenylacetylglutamine and phenylacetate and 2 nmol for phenylalanine. Baseline plasma concentrations of phenylacetate and phenylacetylglutamine and 1 and 3 microM, respectively. The 24-h urinary excretions of phenylacetate and phenylacetylglutamine are about 4 mumol and 1 mmol, respectively. Ingestion of phenylalanine (in the form of aspartame) by a human is followed by sequential increases in phenylacetate and phenylacetylglutamine concentrations in plasma and urine. This assay opens the way to noninvasive probing of the 13C-labeling pattern of liver citric acid cycle intermediates in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beylot
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Soloviev
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brunengraber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002952:Citric Acid Cycle; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005973:Glutamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D015335:Molecular Probes; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015335:Molecular Probes; D010648:Phenylacetates; D005973:Glutamine; D010649:Phenylalanine; C003089:phenylacetylglutamine; C025136:phenylacetic acid