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Amino Acids: The Forum for Amino Acid, Peptide and Protein Research (v.29, #4)
The usefulness of radiotracers to make the body biochemically transparent by B. Johannsen (pp. 307-311).
Radioactive isotopes are uniquely applicable to observe reactions or circuits of reactions at the molecular level without disturbing the system being studied. The advent of molecular imaging modalities, particularly positron emission tomography (PET), is a major breakthrough for the visualisation and quantitative assessment of cellular and molecular processes occurring in living tissues. The recent development of animal PET scanners that offers 2-mm resolution and is tailored to laboratory rodent models, has made a further great impact on in vivo biochemistry. With these live-imaging modalities at hand, radiotracer-based technologies allow to look directly at biochemical distribution and interaction processes. Tremendous progress made in radiotracer chemistry, primarily in carbon-11 and fluorine-18 radiochemistry, and in the design of imaging devices strengthens the usefulness of radiotracers in nuclear medicine and drug research and development and opens exciting opportunities for new applications, e.g., in food science.
Keywords: Keywords: Radiotracer – Positron emission tomography – Molecular imaging
Protein-bound advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) as bioactive amino acid derivatives in foods by T. Henle (pp. 313-322).
The Maillard reaction or nonenzymatic browning is of outstanding importance for the formation of flavour and colour of heated foods. Corresponding reactions, also referred to as “glycation”, are known from biological systems, where the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) shall play an important pathophysiological role in diabetes and uremia. In this review, pathways leading to the formation of individual protein-bound lysine and arginine derivatives in foods are described and nutritional consequences resulting from this posttranslational modifications of food proteins are discussed.
Keywords: Keywords: Lysine – Arginine – Amadori products – Furoylmethyl amino acids – Nonenzymatic browning – Glycation – Metabolic transit
Aspects of positron emission tomography radiochemistry as relevant for food chemistry by F. Wuest (pp. 323-339).
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique using compounds labelled with short-lived positron emitting radioisotopes to obtain functional information of physiological, biochemical and pharmacological processes in vivo. The need to understand the potential link between the ingestion of individual dietary agents and the effect of health promotion or health risk requires the exact metabolic characterization of food ingredients in vivo. This exciting but rather new research field of PET would provide new insights and perspectives on food chemistry by assessing quantitative information on pharmocokinetics and pharmacodynamics of food ingredients and dietary agents. To fully exploit PET technology in food chemistry appropriately radiolabelled compounds as relevant for food sciences are needed. The most widely used short-lived positron emitters are 11C (t1/2 = 20.4 min) and 18F (t1/2 = 109.8 min). Longer-lived radioisotopes are available by using 76Br (t1/2 = 16.2 h) and 124I (t1/2 = 4.12 d). The present review article tries to discuss some aspects for the radiolabelling of food ingredients and dietary agents either by means of isotopic labelling with 11C or via prosthetic group labelling approaches using the positron emitting halogens 18F, 76Br and 124I.
Keywords: Keywords: Positron emission tomography – Radiolabelling – Prosthetic group
Principles of quantitative positron emission tomography by J. van den Hoff (pp. 341-353).
The central distinguishing feature of positron emission tomography (PET) is its ability to investigate quantitatively regional cellular and molecular transport processes in vivo with good spatial resolution. This review wants to provide a concise overview of the established principles underlying quantitative data evaluations of the acquired PET images. Especially, the compartment modelling framework is discussed on which virtually all quantification methods utilized in PET are based. The aim of the review is twofold: first, to provide the reader with an idea of the theoretical framework and mathematical tools and second, to enable an intuitive grasp of the possibilities and limitations of a quantitative approach to PET data evaluation. This should facilitate an understanding of how PET measurements translate into quantities such as regional blood flow, volume of distribution, and metabolic rates of specific substrates.
Keywords: Keywords: Positron emission tomography – PET – Tracer kinetics – Compartment modelling
Small animal positron emission tomography in food sciences by R. Bergmann; J. Pietzsch (pp. 355-376).
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a 3-dimensional imaging technique that has undergone tremendous developments during the last decade. Non-invasive tracing of molecular pathways in vivo is the key capability of PET. It has become an important tool in the diagnosis of human diseases as well as in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. In contrast to other imaging modalities, radiotracer concentrations can be determined quantitatively. By application of appropriate tracer kinetic models, the rate constants of numerous different biological processes can be determined. Rapid progress in PET radiochemistry has significantly increased the number of biologically important molecules labelled with PET nuclides to target a broader range of physiologic, metabolic, and molecular pathways. Progress in PET physics and technology strongly contributed to better scanners and image processing. In this context, dedicated high resolution scanners for dynamic PET studies in small laboratory animals are now available. These developments represent the driving force for the expansion of PET methodology into new areas of life sciences including food sciences. Small animal PET has a high potential to depict physiologic processes like absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and interactions of biologically significant substances, including nutrients, ‘nutriceuticals’, functional food ingredients, and foodborne toxicants. Based on present data, potential applications of small animal PET in food sciences are discussed.
Keywords: Keywords: Positron emission tomography – Food sciences – Small animal PET scanners – PET tracer
Metabolite analysis in positron emission tomography studies: examples from food sciences by B. Pawelke (pp. 377-388).
Substances of various chemical structures can be labelled with appropriate positron emitting isotopes and applied as tracer compounds in PET examinations. Using dynamic data acquisition protocols, time-activity curves of radioactivity uptake in organs can be derived and the measurements of tissue tracer concentrations can be translated into quantitative values of tissue function. However, analysis of metabolites of these tracers regarding their nature and distribution in the living organism is an essential need for the quantitative analysis of PET measurements. In addition, metabolite analysis contributes to the interpretation of the images obtained as well as to the identification of pathological changes in metabolic pathways. This paper reports on representative examples of radiolabelled compounds which might be of importance in food science (e.g., amino acids, polyphenols, and model compounds for advanced glycation end products (AGEs)). Typical procedures of analysis (radio-HPLC, radio-TLC) including pre-analytical sample preparation are described. Specific challenges of the method, e.g., trace amounts of radiolabelled compounds and the influence of the often very short half-lives of positron-emitting nuclides used are highlighted. Representative results of analyses of plasma, urine, and tissue samples are presented and discussed in terms of the metabolic fate of the tracers.
Keywords: Keywords: Positron emission tomography – Metabolite analysis – Tracer – Amino acids – Advanced glycation endproducts – Polyphenols
Catabolism of native and oxidized low density lipoproteins: in vivo insights from small animal positron emission tomography studies by J. Pietzsch; R. Bergmann; F. Wuest; B. Pawelke; C. Hultsch; J. van den Hoff (pp. 389-404).
The human organism is exposed to numerous processes that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS may directly or indirectly cause oxidative modification and damage of proteins. Protein oxidation is regarded as a crucial event in the pathogenesis of various diseases ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to Alzheimer’s disease and atherosclerosis. As a representative example, oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) is regarded as a crucial event in atherogenesis. Data concerning the role of circulating oxidized LDL (oxLDL) in the development and outcome of diseases are scarce. One reason for this is the shortage of methods for direct assessment of the metabolic fate of circulating oxLDL in vivo. We present an improved methodology based on the radiolabelling of apoB-100 of native LDL (nLDL) and oxLDL, respectively, with the positron emitter fluorine-18 (18F) by conjugation with N-succinimidyl-4-[18F]fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB). Radiolabelling of both nLDL and oxLDL using [18F]SFB causes neither additional oxidative structural modifications of LDL lipids and proteins nor alteration of their biological activity and functionality, respectively, in vitro. The method was further evaluated with respect to the radiopharmacological properties of both [18F]fluorobenzoylated nLDL and oxLDL by biodistribution studies in male Wistar rats. The metabolic fate of [18F]fluorobenzoylated nLDL and oxLDL in rats in vivo was further delineated by dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) using a dedicated small animal tomograph (spatial resolution of 2 mm). From this study we conclude that the use of [18F]FB-labelled LDL particles is an attractive alternative to, e.g., LDL iodination methods, and is of value to characterize and to discriminate the kinetics and the metabolic fate of nLDL and oxLDL in small animals in vivo.
Keywords: Keywords: Low density lipoprotein – Bolton-Hunter type reagent – LDL radiolabelling – Protein oxidation – Small animal positron emission tomography.
Biodistribution and catabolism of 18F-labelled isopeptide Nɛ-(γ-glutamyl)-L-lysine by C. Hultsch; R. Bergmann; B. Pawelke; J. Pietzsch; F. Wuest; B. Johannsen; T. Henle (pp. 405-413).
Isopeptide bonds between the ɛ-amino group of lysine and the γ-carboxamide group of glutamine are formed during strong heating of pure proteins or, more important, by enzymatic reaction mediated by transglutaminases. Despite the wide use of a microbial transglutaminase in food biotechnology, up to now little is known about the metabolic fate of the isopeptide Nɛ-(γ-glutamyl)-L-lysine. In the present study, N-succinimidyl-4-[18F]fluorobenzoate was used to modify Nɛ-(γ-glutamyl)-L-lysine at each of its two α-amino groups, resulting in the 4-[18F]fluorobenzoylated derivatives, for which biodistribution, catabolism, and elimination were investigated in male Wistar rats. A significant different biochemical behavior of the two labelled isopeptides was observed in terms of in vitro stability, in vivo metabolism as well as biodistribution. The results suggest that the metabolic fate of isopeptides is likely to be dependent on how they are reabsorbed – free or peptide bound.
Keywords: Keywords: Transglutaminase – Nɛ-(γ-glutamyl)-L-lysine – Crosslinking – Positron emission tomography
Synthesis and biodistribution of an 18F-labelled resveratrol derivative for small animal positron emission tomography by S. Gester; F. Wuest; B. Pawelke; R. Bergmann; J. Pietzsch (pp. 415-428).
Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a naturally occurring phytoalexin and polyphenol existing in grapes and various other plants, and one of the best known ‘nutriceuticals’. It shows a multiplicity of beneficial biological effects, particularly, by attenuating atherogenic, inflammatory, and carcinogenic processes. However, despite convincing evidence from experimental and clinical studies, data concerning the role of resveratrol and other members of the large polyphenols family for human health is still a matter of debate. One reason for this is the lack of suitable sensitive and specific methods, which would allow direct assessment of biodistribution, biokinetics, and the metabolic fate of these compounds in vivo. The unique features of positron emission tomography (PET) as a non-invasive in vivo imaging methodology in combination with suitable PET radiotracers have great promise to assess quantitative information on physiological effects of polyphenols in vivo. Herein we describe the radiosynthesis of an 18F-labelled resveratrol derivative, 3,5-dihydroxy-4′-[18F]fluoro-trans-stilbene ([18F]-1), using the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction as a novel radiolabelling technique in PET radiochemistry for subsequent functional imaging of polyphenol metabolism in vivo. In a typical “three-step/one-pot” reaction, 18F-labelled resveratrol derivative [18F]-1 could be synthesized within 120–130 min including HPLC separation at a specific radioactivity of about 90 GBq/μmol. The radiochemical yield was about 9% (decay-corrected) related to [18F]fluoride and the radiochemical purity exceeded 97%. First radiopharmacological evaluation included measurement of biodistribution ex vivo and positron emission tomography (PET) studies in vivo after intravenous application of [18F]-1 in male Wistar rats using a dedicated small animal PET camera with very high spatial resolution. Concordantly with data on bioavailability and metabolism of native resveratrol from the literature, these investigations revealed an extensive uptake and metabolism in the liver and kidney, respectively, of [18F]-1. This study represents the first investigation of polyphenols in vivo by means of PET.
Keywords: Keywords: Polyphenols – Resveratrol – [18F]Fluorobenzaldehyde – Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction – Positron emission tomography (PET)
Kinetics of biomarkers: biological and technical validity of isoprostanes in plasma by S. A. J. Coolen; B. van Buuren; G. Duchateau; J. Upritchard; H. Verhagen (pp. 429-436).
Isoprostanes, non-enzymatic peroxidation products of arachidonic acid, are attractive biomarkers of oxidative stress in research in biology, medicine and nutrition. For the appropriate use of biomarkers it is required that these are both biologically and technically valid. Whereas the biological validity of isoprostanes is well-established, it is technically quite complicated to measure isoprostanes and its metabolites in body fluids, and its rapid disappearance from plasma may hamper practical application. This paper shortly introduces isoprostanes as a biomarker for studies with humans, describes a novel fast and sensitive method for measuring isoprostanes in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, and provides several examples of the use of the method in studies in humans. By taking care of the biological and technical validity of this biomarker it is possible to establish the antioxidant effects of some food ingredients in studies with human volunteers.
Keywords: Keywords: Biomarkers – Isoprostanes – Solid phase extraction – LC-MS-MS – Plasma – Food sciences