Determination of the molar absorptivity of NADH.

The molar absorptivity of NADH at 340 nm has been determined by an indirect procedure in which high-purity glucose is phosphorylated by ATP in the presence of hexokinase, coupled to oxidation of the glucose-6-phosphate by NAD+ in the presence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The average value from 85 independent determinations is 6317 liter mol-1 cm-1 at 25 degrees C and pH 7.8. The overall uncertainty is -4.0 to +5.5 ppt (6292 to 6352 liter mol-1 cm-1), based on a standard error of the mean of 0.48 ppt and an estimate of systematic error of -2.6 to +4.1 ppt. Effects of pH, buffer, and temperature on the molar absorptivity are also reported.     

Molar absorptivities of beta-NADH and beta-NADPH.

Re-investigating the accuracy of the commonly used values for molar absorptivities (epsilon) of beta-NADH and beta-NADPH at Hg 334, Hg 365, or 340 nm, we obtained the following results: The maximum of absorbance of NADH is shifted from about 340 nm at 0 degrees C to about 338.5 nm at 38 degrees C; the corresponding maxima of NADPH are located at about 0.5-nm longer wavelengths. In addition, the absorption curves of both coenzymes broaden with increasing temperature. For these reasons, the epsilon-values of NADH and NADPH are generally different from each other, and are temperature-dependent. Only at 334 nm are they almost identical and nearly independent of temperature. Therefore this wavelength is recommended for precise measurements. The epsilon-values of these coenzymes are influenced by ionic strength and pH. To determine the absolute values of the molar absorptivities, we performed the glutamate dehydrogenase or lactate dehydrogenase assay with carefully purified 2-oxoglutaric acid or pyruvic acid in the presence of excess coenzyme. The purity of the substrates was checked through differential scanning calorimetry, moisture analysis, gas-liquid chromatography, gas chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The epsilon-values observed under the various conditions are about 1-7% higher than those currently used.     

Influence of salts on Michaelis-constant values for NADH.

We previously observed [Clin. Chem. 22, 1648 (1976)] that values of the Michaelis constant for NADH for the conversion of pyruvate to lactate with lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) in the presence of 0.1 mol/liter buffers at 25 degrees C showed first-order dependence on enzyme concentration. This is now recognized to be the result of an inhibitory influence exerted by buffers [NH4HCO2, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, and phosphate] and salts [(NH4)2SO4 and NaCl] present in the reaction mixtures. Inhibition constants for the enzyme/inhibitor complexes formed with these substances are about 0.3 mol/liter for competition of NH4HCO3 with NaOH and 0.4 mol/liter for competition of NH4HCO3 with pyruvate; they are 0.6 mol/liter for NaCl, 1.0 mol/liter for sodium phosphate, 0.3 mol/liter for (NH4)2SO4, and 0.8 mol/liter for tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane when these substances compete with NADH. Because of the large molar ratio of buffer to substrate (about 10(9):1) in enzymatic assays, the buffer concentration significantly influences the Michaelis constant, despite the large value for the inhibition constant. Attention to the concentrations of these substances may be required for decreasing variability in clinical assays in which lactate dehydrogenase and possible other enzymes are used.     

Endpoint colorimetric method for assaying total cholesterol in serum with cholesterol dehydrogenase

BACKGROUND: Various methods are available to measure serum cholesterol concentrations. Of these, the cholesterol ester hydrolase (CEH)-cholesterol oxidase-peroxidase chromogenic method is widely used. However, this method has the disadvantage of interference by reducing substances. We developed and evaluated an endpoint assay for serum cholesterol, based on a CEH-cholesterol dehydrogenase (CDH)-ultraviolet method. METHODS: Cholesterol esters are first hydrolyzed to free cholesterol by CEH. The free cholesterol is then reduced by CDH to cholest-4-ene-3-one with the simultaneous production of beta-NADH from beta-NAD(+). At equilibrium, the CDH reaction gives incomplete conversion of cholesterol to cholest-4-ene-3-one. To overcome this disadvantage, we added hydrazine monohydrate to the reaction mixture to remove cholest-4-ene-3-one, which allowed the reaction to proceed to completion and gave stoichiometric production of beta-NADH from the reaction of beta-NAD(+) with cholesterol. RESULTS: We tested whether the amount of cholesterol added was equivalent to the absorbance change of NADH at 340 nm with six aqueous samples. Recoveries were 97.1-100.3%. The reaction was linear up to 20.28 mmol/L. The mean within-day (n = 20) and between-day (n = 10) imprecision (CV) was 0. 29-0.43% and 0.22-0.61%, respectively. No interference by bilirubin, hemoglobin, ascorbic acid, and other reducing agents was observed. The equation obtained in comparison with the modified Abell-Levy-Brodie-Kendall method was: y = 0.992x - 0.0058 mmol/L; r = 0.997; S(y|x) = 0.117 mmol/L; n = 50. CONCLUSION: This method is an accurate, reliable method for serum cholesterol analysis and is amenable to automation.     

Detection of inhibitors in reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by kinetic methods.

Methods are described for detection of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) inhibitors in preparations of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. They are (a) comparison of values by kinetic methods with those measured for highly purified NADH and (b) examination of Lineweaver-Burk plots. Chromatographic inhomogeneities are correlated with deviant values for the kinetic constants of NADH preparations. Lineweaver-Burk plots that curve upward at the high concentrations or have a larger or smaller than normal slope may indicate the presence of inhibitor. As determined in bicarbonate buffer (0.11 mol/liter, pH 7.9) by use of 0.600 mmol/liter pyruvate and NADH freshly separated from impurities by chromatography on diethyl-aminoethyl-cellulose, the Km (apparent) of NADH at 25 degrees C has the value 8.11 +/- 0.71 mumol/liter (SD, n = 28) with LDH-1 (pig heart, 2.48 +/- 0.05 U per milliliter of reaction mixture, or 41.3 +/- 0.8 nmol/liter per second). Under similar conditions, the Km (apparent) of NADH has the value of 8.57 +/- 1.58 mol/liter (SD, n = 21) with LDH-5 (pig muscle, 1.77 +/- 0.03 U/ml of reaction mixture), or 29.4 +/- 0.6 nmol/liter per second). At infinite substrate concentrations with the same pH, buffer, and temperature, the Km (apparent) for NADH was 26.0 +/- 0.63 mumol/liter with LDH-1 and 23.2 +/- 4.6 mumol/liter with LDH-5.     

Making enzymatic methods optimum for measuring compounds with a kinetic analyzer.

Kinetic enzymatic methods for analysis of substrates can be made optimum for a sensitive photometric analyzer by adjusting the activity of the triggering (catalyzing) enzyme so that the reaction rate is maximum at the time of measurement. tat this optimum activity, the exponential time constant for exhaustion of substrate equals the time between triggering and rate measurement. The scale factor (defined as measured activity divided by sample concentration in the reaction mixture) is the same for all tests. Sensitivity to substrate concentration is predictable from instrumental absorbance uncertainty and molar absorptivity of the absorbing species. These predictions from Michaelis theory were verified experimentally for pyruvate and lactate triggered with lactate dehydrogenase, for glucose triggered with hexokinase, and for triglycerides triggered with glycerol kinase, the reaction rate being measured 30 s after triggering. Sensitivities of 1.5 times 10(-7) mol/liter were achieved. Serum diluted 1000-fold and analyzed for glucose gave a repeatability of 25 mg/liter with linearity to 4.0 g/liter. Samples diluted 300-fold and analyzed for triglycerides gave 30 mg/liter repeatability, with linearity to concentrations exceeding 3.0 g/liter.     

New values for the molar extinction coefficients of NADH and NADPH for the use in routine laboratories (author's transl)]

Extensive re-investigations with regard to the molar extinction coefficients of NADH and NADPH proved that in future, calculations in routine work can be performed with the following much more accurate epsilon-values: 6.15 x 10(3) 1 x mol-1 x cm-1 at Hg 334 nm (NADH and NADPH), 6.3 X 10(3) 1 X mol-1 x cm-1 at 340 nm (NADH and NADPH), 3.4 X 10(3) 1 X mol-1 X Cm-1 (NADH) and 3.5 x 10(3) 1 x mol-1 x cm-1 (NADPH) at Hg 365 nm, respectively. The safest measurement is performed at Hg 334 nm, because here epsilon is identical for both coenzymes and deviations of the epsilon-value caused by temperature, pH and ionic strength are less than 0.5%.     

Formation and properties of lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors in NADH.

We describe some characteristics of the mode of formation of inhibitors of lactate dehydrogenase from commercial NADH. Inhibitor formation is time- and concentration-dependent and also varies with the commercial source of NADH. At least two inhibitory components can form in concentrated NADH solutions. One of these can be separated from NADH by chromatography on either diethylaminoethyl-celluose or diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex; the second cannot. The NADH-associated inhibitor appeared to be present in each of the three commercial NADH preparations studied. The 260 nm/340 nm absorbance ratio was of no help in locating this inhibitor during chromatography.     

Lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors in NADH preparations.

The presence of a new lactate dehydrogenase inhibitor on the trailing edge of the NADH peak from chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-celluose [Loshon et al., Clin. Chem., this issue] was verified. It was resolved from the NADH by high-performance liquid chromatography on muBondapak C18. When the new inhibitor was present in a reaction mixture to the extent that, of the initial 260-nm absorbance, about 5% was contributed by the inhibitor, the rate of NADH oxidation by lactate dehydrogenase decreased by 65%. The inhibitor absorbs at 260 and 340 nm, and is different from the Strandjord-Clayson inhibitor [J. Lab. Clin. Med. 67, 144 (1966)] by both types of chromatography. Because this new inhibitor has ultraviolet properties similar to those of NADH and chromatographs with the NADH on DEAE-cellulose, the high-performance liquid chromatographic method must be used to ensure its absence in preparations of NADH used for clinical assay.     

Purification and analysis of the purity of NADH.

We developed an analytical reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for rapid assessment of the purity of NADH. The method completely separates adenosine monophosphate and adenosine diphosphoribose from NADH. By use of this analytical technique we found that preparative chromatography on DEAE-cellulose gives NADH that is free from adenine nucleotides as well as other impurities that commonly are present in NADH. The absorbance ratio at 260 and 340 nm of the purified NADH in 1.8 mmol/liter ammonium carbonate is 2.261 +/- 0.002 (+/- 1 SD).     

New ultraviolet (340 nm) method for assay of uric acid in serum or plasma

We propose a novel enzymatic method for assay of uric acid at 340 nm, which eliminates several disadvantages of both the colorimetric and enzymatic methods now in common use. Here, uric acid is catalytically oxidized to allantoin and hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide is reacted with ethanol in the presence of catalase to form acetaldehyde and water, and the acetaldehyde is reduced by NADH in the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase to ethanol. The decrease in absorbance at 340 nm caused by oxidation of NADH is directly proportional to the concentration of uric acid in the sample. Measurement of the change in absorbance between 20 and 200 s eliminates the need for a serum blank measurement. Absorbance and concentration are linearly related to 120 mg of uric acid per liter. The new method was compared with the uricase method in which decomposition of uric acid at 293 nm is directly measured. The results for the 47 patients' sera so examined can be expressed by the linear equation y340 = 1.0078x293 + 0.122 (r = 0.9984).     

Lipoamide dehydrogenase in serum: a preliminary report.

Lipoamide dehydrogenase was identified in serum and the optimal conditions for its assay at 30 degrees C were defined. The pH optimum in tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer is 7.8, and activity is inhibited if buffer concentration exceeds 100 mmol/liter. Saturating concentrations of the substrates NAD+ and lipoamide are 3 mmol/liter and 5 mmol/liter, respectively. Activity is decreased eightfold when lipoic acid is substituted for lipoamide. Activity is linearly related to enzyme concentration up to limiting absorbance change of 0.300 at 340 nm, and both within-day and day-to-day precision are satisfactory. Data suggest a normal range (2 SD) of 3-19 kU/liter. The highest value measured in serum was 473 kU/liter. A correlation with direct bilirubin concentrations (r equals 0.435, P less than 0.01) was found.     

Rapid kinetic measurement of lactate in plasma with a centrifugal analyzer.

In this method, blood is collected in ammonium heparinized microhematocrit tubes and lactate is directly determined in the plasma, separated within 15 min from the erythrocytes. Lactate is assayed by mixing 10 mul of sample with NAD+ and lactate dehydrogenase in tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane hydrazine buffer. The rate of increase in absorbance of the NADH formed, measured at 340 nm, is proportional to lactate concentration. The assay is complete in 4 min and absorbance is linearly related to concentration from 0.625 to 15 mmol/liter. Analytical recoveries of lactate added to plasma averaged 104% (range, 91-116%). Results compared well for plasma samples analyzed by this method with the CentrifiChem and the Du Pont aca.     

Enzymatic method for determination of CO2 in serum.

We describe an enzymatic method, requiring only 10 mul of serum, for determining CO2 as bicarbonate or dissolved gas. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase catalyzes the reaction of HCO3- with phosphoenolypyruvate to give oxalacetate. The resulting NADH, in the presence of malate dehydrogenase, is oxidized to NAD+, and the decrease in absorbance at 340 nm is directly proportional to the amount of CO2 present in the sample. Reaction is complete in 3 to 6 min under assay conditions, and is linearly related to CO2 concentrations between 8 and 65 mmol/liter. Analytical recovery is 95-110% (average, 101%). Two laboratories compared values obtained by continuous-flow analysis. The resulting correlation coefficients were 0.966 and 0.987, values for the t-test were t(paired) equals 0.473 and t(paired) equals 0.334, and average day-to-day precisions (three concentrations) were 3.9% and 4.2%.     

A specific kinetic assay for tripeptide aminopeptidase in serum

This is a method for measuring tripeptide aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.4) activity in serum. L- Leucylglycylglycine is used as substrate, and the reaction is followed by monitoring the absorbance increase at 340 nm when NAD+ is reduced to NADH in the presence of an excess of leucine dehydrogenase. This principle allows kinetic determination of the enzyme without interference by carboxypeptidases. Amastatin is added to the reaction mixture to prevent nonspecific hydrolysis of the substrate catalyzed by other aminopeptidases. As final reaction concentrations we recommend (per liter): 100 mmol of Tris buffer (pH 8.2), 4.0 mmol of L- leucylglycylglycine , 10 kU of leucine dehydrogenase, 3.8 mmol of NAD+, and 85 mumol of amastatin . The assay is suited to modern enzyme analyzers and has high precision.     

Interlaboratory proficiency, intermethod comparison, and calibrator suitability in assay of serum aspartate aminotransferase activity.

Sources of variation in assays of aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) activity were examined in an interlaboratory survey and through an examination of materials used as calibration materials in these assays. Four highly stable lyophilized specimens containing human cytoplasmic enzyme, with activities of 0, 22, 46, and 96 U/liter at 30 degrees C and optimal substrate concentrations, were assayed by 319 laboratories. Mean values obtained on these specimens by laboratories using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine kits varied among manufacturers and deviated from values expected from this procedure. The average coefficient of variation (CV) with these kits was greater than 20%. Automated continuous-flow procedures with use of diazonium salt showed the best precision (av CV, less than 10%). However, the automated continuous-flow malate dehydrogenase/NADH coupled method produced an average CV greater than 20%. Results from each of the automated methods were related to a reference malate dehydrogenase/NADH coupled continuous kinetic assay method by temperature relationships alone. Mean values from manual diazonium salt procedures were 1.7-fold greater than similar reference values (av CV was 18%). The higher results were attributed to the use of poorly-defined units and to an artifact caused by chromophore stabilizers in this procedure when aqueous samples are used. The average CV in continuous kinetic methods varied among kit manufacturers, ranging from 6 to 28% for the specimen of highest activity. Variations in results were much larger at 366 nm than at 340 nm than at 340ity. Variations in results were much larger at 366 nm than at 340 nm. Interassay relationships of these methods are presented. Concentrations of pyruvate in commercially available calibration materials differed between manufacturers, varied in stability, and deviated from the expected concentration. For some colorimetric assays the precision attained on reported absorbance values for the enzyme specimens was of the same order of magnitude as that for pyruvate standards. Other sources of error are revealed by the interlaboratory survey. The value of commercially available sources of enzyme activity as calibration or control materials was assessed by evaluating the following properties: activity at suboptimal concentrations of L-aspartate or 2-oxoglutarate, temperature effects, preincubation lability owing to aspartate and phosphate, pyridoxal phosphate saturation, contamination with glutamate dehydrogenase, and manufacturer's rated activity. These properties are compared to those of human cytoplasmic enzyme in a human serum matrix.     

Effect of glucose upon alkaline picrate: a Jaffé interference

The reactivity of glucose in aqueous alkaline picrate was investigated by spectrophotometry and polarography at 25 degrees C in 0.51 mol/l sodium hydroxide. Thin-layer chromatography and infrared spectroscopy studies have conclusively identified the presence of picramic acid in 5:1 and 10:1 glucose picrate test solutions incubated at 25 degrees C. The polarographic data of an alkaline picrate blank with a concentration of 0.284 mmol/l, show three well-defined nitro group reduction waves with approximate half-wave potentials of -0.62 V, -0.78 V, and -0.93 V and a fourth broad wave appearing near -1.31 V versus a saturated calomel electrode. The addition of glucose to alkaline picrate resulted in a decreased diffusion current for reduction waves 1-3, with little change in reduction wave 4. The reactivity of test solutions containing glucose:picrate in 1:1, 2:1, 5:1 and 10:1 molar ratios was investigated at varied time intervals between 10 and 180 minutes. The absorption spectra of a 10:1 glucose:picrate solution shifted from 356 nm to 375 nm and a broad tailing shoulder absorbance formed in the 450-600 nm region. An orange coloured minor product, separated by thin-layer chromatography, was observed to fluoresce. The maximum excitation and emission wavelengths were 318 nm and 545 nm, respectively. A major, red-coloured product was isolated and identified as picramic acid by infrared spectroscopy. For 10:1 glucose:picrate test solutions incubated at 25 degrees C, picramic acid formed within 10 minutes. Within the first minute, the colour was observed to change from yellow to orange and then to red.     

Mechanized enzymatic determination of triglycerides in serum.

A procedure for enzymatic determination of serum triglycerides [Clin. Chem. 19, 476 (1973)] has been adapted for use in continuous-flow analysis (Technicon AutoAnalyzer). A very simple manifold is used; serum is incubated at 37 degrees C with the lipase and alpha-chymotrypsin in potassium phosphate buffer (0.1 mol/liter, pH 7, containing 1.50 g of bovine serum albumin per liter). The liberated glycerol is dialyzed against the complete glycerol reagent. The change in absorbance at 340 nm resulting from oxidation of NADH is proportional to the dialyzed glycerol. The same manifold can be used to determine preformed glycerol if the hydrolyzing enzymes are omitted. The hydrolysis is complete, as shown by the use of equivalent glycerol standards. No prior treatment of the samples is necessary. Assays are run at 60 per hour in the AutoAnalyzer l, 80 per hour in the AutoAnalyzer ll. Results with both instruments for 150 samples correlated well with those obtained by the same enzymatic manual method and by the AutoAnalyzer fluorometric procedure.     

Delta bilirubin: absorption spectra, molar absorptivity, and reactivity in the diazo reaction

Delta bilirubin (B delta), isolated from serum, has an absorption maximum near 440 nm and a molar absorptivity of 72,000 L mol-1cm-1 in either Tris HCl (0.1 mol/L, pH 8.5) or phosphate (0.13 mol/L, pH 7.4) buffer. This absorptivity exceeds by approximately 50% and 59%, respectively, that of unconjugated bilirubin in the same buffers. This finding suggests that substantial errors can be incurred in direct spectrophotometry of bilirubins in serum. In the total diazo (TBIL) assay (Clin Chem 1985;31:1779-89), the color yield from B delta increases by 10% as the final diazo concentration is increased from 0.27 to 0.81 mmol/L. In the direct (DBIL) assay, if done in HCl (50 mmol/L), B delta yields approximately 15% more color as the diazo concentration is increased from 0.51 to 1.53 mmol/L, whereas in acetate buffer (0.4 mol/L, pH 4.7) the corresponding color yield is 25% greater. However, the absolute color yield for the reaction in HCl exceeds that in acetate buffer. In both the TBIL and the DBIL assay, B delta reacts slowly, nearly complete reaction requiring 10 min. Thus, B delta may be seriously underestimated in diazo (especially DBIL) methods in which short reaction times (20 s to 1 min) are used.     

Automated enzymatic assay for plasma ammonia.

An enzymatic method for determining plasma ammonia with the Du Pont Automatic Clinical Analyzer (aca) is described. The assay requires a sample volume of 500 muL for a kinetic ammonia measurement. The reaction is initiated with glutamate dehydrogenase and the rate of depletion of NADPH is monitored with two measurements, 17 s apart, at 340 nm. Reaction conditions have been optimized for maximum sensitivity through both one-factor-at-a-time and multiple variable response surface optimization techniques. Linearity to 1000 mumol of ammonia per liter of plasma has been achieved. No significant interferences were observed from anticoagulants or endogenous blood components, including pyruvate and oxalacetate. Use of the coenzyme NADPH (instead of NADH) in this aca procedure eliminates the lengthy pre-incubation otherwise required for endogenous dehydrogenase reactions.