Urine aromatics

C. Excreted in the urine in the rare hereditary disease alkaptonuria. Homogentisic acid is easily oxidized in the air to dark-coloured polymeric products, so that urine from patients with alkaptonuria turns gradually black. It is formed from tyrosine and is an intermediate in tyrosine breakdown in the body. Alkaptonuria is due to the absence of the liver enzyme which cleaves the aromatic ring. 

The metabolism of foreign compounds (xenobiotics) often takes place in two consecutive reactions, classically referred to as phases one and two. Phase I is a functionalization of the lipophilic compound that can be used to attach a conjugate in Phase II. The conjugated product is usually sufficiently water-soluble to be excretable into the urine. The most important biotransformations of Phase I are aromatic and aliphatic hydroxylations catalyzed by cytochromes P450. Other Phase I enzymes are for example epoxide hydrolases or carboxylesterases. Typical Phase II enzymes are UDP-glucuronosyltrans-ferases, sulfotransferases, N-acetyltransferases and methyltransferases e.g. thiopurin S-methyltransferase. 

Adsorption and ion exchange chromatography are well-known methods of LC. In adsorption, one frequently selects either silica or alumina as stationary phase for separation of nonionic, moderately polar substances (e.g. alcohols, aromatic heterocycles, etc.). This mode works best in the fractionation of classes of compounds and the resolution of isomeric substances (J). Ion exchange, on the other hand, is applicable to the separation of ionic substances. As to be discussed later, this mode has been well developed as a tool for analysis of urine constituents (8). 

The positions, numbers, and types of sugars on the anthocyanin molecule influence its bioaccessibility. Indeed, a recent human study reported that the acylation of anthocyaifins resulted in a sigififlcant decrease of anthocyanin recoveries in plasma and urine. In addition, anthocyanins form linkages with aromatic acids, aliphatic acids, and methyl ester derivatives, which can also affect their passage through the intestinal barrier. 

Hanai, T., Hubert, J. (1982) Hydrophobicity and chromatographic behaviour of aromatic acids found in urine. J. Chromatogr. 239, 527-536. 

Kwakman et al. [65] described the synthesis of a new dansyl derivative for carboxylic acids. The label, N- (bromoacetyl)-A -[5-(dimethylamino)naphthalene-l-sulfonyl]-piperazine, reacted with both aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids in less than 30 min. Excess reagent was converted to a relatively polar compound and subsequently separated from the derivatives on a silica cartridge. A separation of carboxylic acid enantiomers was performed after labeling with either of three chiral labels and the applicability of the method was demonstrated by determinations of racemic ibuprofen in rat plasma and human urine [66], Other examples of labels used to derivatize carboxylic acids are 3-aminoperylene [67], various coumarin compounds [68], 9-anthracenemethanol [69], 6,7-dimethoxy-l-methyl-2(lH)-quinoxalinone-3-propionylcarboxylic acid hydrazide (quinoxalinone) [70], and a quinolizinocoumarin derivative termed Lumarin 4 [71],... 

The CES family of proteins is characterized by the ability to hydrolyze a wide variety of aromatic and aliphatic substrates containing ester, thioester, and amide bonds (Heymann 1980, 1982). Cauxin is a member of the CES family, and is secreted from the proximal straight tubular cells into the urine in a species-, sex-, and age-dependent manner. Therefore, we postulated that cauxin was involved in an enzymatic reaction in cat urine and the products made by the reaction should vary with species, sex, and age. Based on this hypothesis, we searched for physiological substrates and products of cauxin in cat urine and identified 2-amino-7-hydroxy-5,5-dimethyl-4-thiaheptanoic acid, also known as felinine. 

One further compound should be mentioned in this connexion, namely, p-fluorophenylacetic acid (XXII), which has the carbon skeleton of the highly toxic 5-fluoropentanecarboxylic acid (XXIII). It seemed unlikely that (XXII) could be broken down in vivo to fluoroacetic acid, and as expected it was non-toxic. It should be mentioned, however, that aromatic compounds are capable of certain types of oxidative breakdown in the animal body. Jaffe,1 for example, isolated small quantities of muconic acid from the urine of dogs and rabbits which had received considerable quantities of benzene. 

Behavioral observations of male white-tailed deer indicate that urine could play a role in olfactory communication in this animal [131]. To extend the knowledge of the urinary volatiles of the white-tailed deer and to investigate the possibility that vaginal mucus could also carry semiochemical information, Jemiolo et al. [132] studied the qualitative and concentration changes in the profiles of the volatiles present in these excretions. Forty-four volatiles were found in the mucus and 63 in female urine. The volatiles common to both vaginal mucus and urine included alcohols, aldehydes, furans, ketones, alkanes, and alkenes. Aromatic hydrocarbons were found only in the mucus, whereas pyrans, amines, esters and phenols were found only in the urine. Both estrous mucus and estrous urine could be identified by the presence of specific compounds that were not present in mid-cycle samples. Numerous compounds exhibited dependency on ovarian hormones. 

Ample evidence exists to show that aquatic vertebrates are able to metabolize aromatic hydrocarbons to a variety of conjugated and non-conjugated derivatives. It was shown with fish that the metabolite aromatic hydrocarbon ratio tends to increase after hydrocarbon exposure. Under conditions of depuration (clean water environments) either hydrocarbons or metabolites are discharged through gills, bile, urine, skin, and mucus of marine fish. Further work is necessary with phylogenetically diverse species because the above conclusions are based on only a few studies of selected organisms. 

The prediction of retention times in a given eluent from log P has been proposed for aromatic hydrocarbons.19 The log A values of phenols21 and nitrogen-containing compounds22 were also related to their logP, and the calculated log P was used for the qualitative analysis of urinary aromatic acids, i.e. for the identification of metabolites in urine from the differences of log P in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.23,24... 

The biotransformation of clofexamide (4.33, Fig. 4.4), a compound with anti-inflammatory and antidepressant activities, was investigated in rats [18]. About 15% of the dose administered was found in urine as 2-(4-chlorophe-noxy)acetic acid (4.37). This metabolite was formed via the secondary amine 4.34, the primary amine 4.35, and the acid 4.36 resulting from oxidative deamination. However, direct formation of 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)acetic acid (4.37) from the parent compound (4.33) cannot be excluded. Clofexamide and its metabolite 4.34 also underwent hydroxylation on the aromatic ring, but these hydroxylated metabolites did not appear to be hydrolyzed. 

R-NH-COOH), followed by decarboxylation to the aromatic amine, was an important pathway in humans. However, in contrast to loratadine, the carbamic acid metabolite appeared to be sufficiently stable to be detectable in fair amounts in human urine. It can be postulated that the aromatic nature of the amine accounts for the relative stability of its carbamic acid derivative. 

Tyrosine (Tyr or Y) (4-hydroxyphenylalanine ((5)-2-amino-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propanoic acid)) is a polar, neutral, aromatic amino acid with the formula H00CCH(NH2)CH2C6H50H and is the precursor of thyroxin, dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline), and the pigment melanin. Being the precursor amino acid for the thyroid gland hormone thyroxin, a defect in this may result in hypothyroidism. Tyr is extremely soluble in water, a property that has proven useful in isolating this amino acid from protein hydrolysates. The occurrence of tyrosine- 0-sulfate as a constituent of human urine and fibrinogen has been reported. ... 

Hydroxypyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites PAHs Urine 20 h No Traffic, grilled meat, occupation, biomass combustion in homes... 

A test system that involves extraeting dichlorobenzidine or its metabolite (monoacetyldichlorobenzidine) from urine and reaeting it with Chloramine-T has been developed to screen for dichlorobenzidine exposure in workers (Hatfield et al. 1982). An amperometric method has been developed for the detection of 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine in the urine as a quantitative assay for the biological monitoring of people oeeupationally exposed to this substance or a metabolic precursor such as certain pigments. This method is based on the possibility of two electron oxidation at carbon electrodes by aromatic diamines (Trippel-Sehulte et al. 1986). 

Bowman MC, Rushing CR. 1981. Trace-level determination of benzidine, 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine in animal chow wastewater and human urine. In Egan H, ed. Environmental carcinogens - selected methods of analysis. Volmne 4. Some aromatic amines and azo dyes in the general and industrial environment. Lyon, France International Agency for Research on Cancer, 159-174. 

Nony CR, Bowman MC, Cairns T, et al. 1980. Metabolism studies of an azo dye and pigment in the hamster based on analysis of urine for potentially carcinogenic aromatic amine metabolites. Anal Toxicol 4 132-140. 

A mammal may emit many volatile compounds. Humans, for instance, give off hundreds of volatiles, many of them chemically identified (Ellin etal., 1974). The volatiles include many classes of compound such as acids (gerbil), ketones, lactones, sulfides (golden hamster), phenolics (beaver, elephant), acetates (mouse), terpenes (elephant), butyrate esters (tamarins), among others. The human samples mentioned before contained hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons, alcohols, acids, ketones, aldehydes, esters, nitriles, aromatics, heterocyclics, sulfur compounds, ethers, and halogenated hydrocarbons. Sulfur compounds are found in carnivores, such as foxes, coyotes, or mustelids. The major volatile compound in urine of female coyotes, Canis latrans, is methyl 3-methylhut-3-enyl sulfide, which accounts for at least 50% of all urinary volatiles (Schultz etal, 1988). 

Labeling of iodinated aromatics with radioactive or has proved to be a valuable approach to measure GFR in nuclear medicine. Prominent among these is sodium iothalamate, which is specifically marketed in the US for GFR measurement by the name Glofil . Studies have shown that the clearance of this marker by the glomeruli is reproducible, simple, reliable and accurate, especially in children and those with advanced renal diseases [234]. This marker can also be administered by subcutaneous infusion to obtain GFR values without the need for urine collection [235]. Since very low doses (nanomolar scale) of radioactive aromatics are administered, monitoring of renal function may be achieved without disruption of normal physiologic functions. Concerns over radioactivity and associated handling costs may prevent the use of these compounds for routine GFR measurements. 

Acetazolamide is an aromatic sulfonamide used as a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. It facilitates production of alkahne urine with an elevated biocarbonate, sodium, and potassium ion concentrations. By inhibiting carbonic anhydrase, the drug suppresses reabsorption of sodium ions in exchange for hydrogen ions, increases reflux of bicarbonate and sodium ions and reduces reflux of chloride ions. During this process, chloride ions are kept in the kidneys to cover of insufficiency of bicarbonate ions, and for keeping an ion balance. Electrolytic contents of fluid secreted by the kidneys in patients taking carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are characterized by elevated levels of sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate ions and a moderate increase in water level. Urine becomes basic, and the concentration of bicarbonate in the plasma is reduced. 

Argenlalion chromalography, 261 Aromatic acids in human urine, 285 Aromatic hydrocarbons, 69 Arylhydroxylamines, 298 Ascorbic acid, 296 Aspirin, 282 Asymmetric diens, 290 Asymmetrical peaks, 58, 82, 160 AIT, stability constants of metal complexes. 278 Atrazine, 292 Atropine, 297 Axial diffusion mobile phase. 8 stationary phase, 8,9 Aza-arenes, 293 Azoxybenzenes, 298... 

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