title: Cobalamin Concentrations in Fetal Liver Show Gender Differences: A Result from Using a High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry as an Ultratrace Cobalt Speciation Method.
abstract: Maternal diet and lifestyle choices may affect placental transfer of cobalamin (Cbl) to the fetus. Fetal liver concentration of Cbl reflects nutritional status with regards to vitamin B12, but at these low concentration current Cbl measurement methods lack robustness. An analytical method based on enzymatic extraction with subsequent reversed-phase-high-pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separation and parallel ICPMS and electrospray ionization (ESI)-Orbitrap-MS to determine specifically Cbl species in liver samples of only 10-50 mg was developed using 14 pig livers. Subsequently 55 human fetal livers were analyzed. HPLC-ICPMS analysis for cobalt (Co) and Cbl gave detection limits of 0.18 ng/g and 0.88 ng/g d.m. in liver samples, respectively, with a recovery of >95%. Total Co (Cot) concentration did not reflect the amount of Cbl or vitamin B12 in the liver. Cbl bound Co contributes only 45 ± 15% to Cot. XRF mapping and μXANES analysis confirmed the occurrence of non-Cbl cobalt in pig liver hot spots indicating particular Co. No correlations of total cobalt nor Cbl with fetal weight or weeks of gestation were found for the human fetal livers. Although no gender difference could be identified for total Co concentration, female livers were significantly higher in Cbl concentration (24.1 ± 7.8 ng/g) than those from male fetuses (19.8 ± 7.1 ng/g) (p = 0.04). This HPLC-ICPMS method was able to quantify total Cotand Cbl in fetus liver, and it was sensitive and precise enough to identify this gender difference.
authors.affiliation: TESLA (Trace Element Speciation Laboratory), Department of Chemistry, Meston Walk, University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bosle
authors.affiliation: TESLA (Trace Element Speciation Laboratory), Department of Chemistry, Meston Walk, University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.affiliation: TESLA (Trace Element Speciation Laboratory), Department of Chemistry, Meston Walk, University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raab
authors.affiliation: TESLA (Trace Element Speciation Laboratory), Department of Chemistry, Meston Walk, University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Krupp
authors.affiliation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , National Risk Management Research Laboratory Land Remediation and Pollution Control Division, 5995 Center Hill Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224, United States.
authors.forename: Kirk G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Scheckel
authors.affiliation: Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia , Building X, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, SA-5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lombi
authors.affiliation: Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast , Malone Road, Belfast, Ireland, BT9 5BN, U.K.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Meharg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: TESLA (Trace Element Speciation Laboratory), Department of Chemistry, Meston Walk, University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0524-8254
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003035:Cobalt / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology*; D008297:Male; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods; D013552:Swine; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003035:Cobalt; D014805:Vitamin B 12