Abstract

OSORIO, José Henry  and  POURFARZAM, Morteza. MEMBRANE ACYL-CoA TRAFFIC AND REMAINING LEVELS IN RED BLOOD CELLS, PLASMA AND SERUM ANALYSED BY TANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY. Biosalud [online]. 2009, vol.8, n.1, pp.90-95. ISSN 1657-9550.

There has been a permanent question about the ideal fluid for carnitine and acylcarnitine analysis by tandem mass spectrometry. The present study evaluates the percentage of carnitine and acylcarnitines in red blood cells and the relationship with the carnitine and acylcarnitines content in whole blood, plasma, and serum. Human blood samples were centrifuged, plasma or serum extracted, and blood cells were washed with different isotonic solutions. The final pellet was resuspended in PBS for card preparation and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. It was found that carnitine, short-chain, medium-chain and longchain acylcarnitines remain in red blood cells at average percentages of 43.4; 48; 49; and 70% respectively. A significant difference was found between carnitine and acylcarnitine levels in whole blood compare to its levels in plasma or serum (p<0.05). As carnitine and acylcarnitines remained associated with the blood cells, it seems therefore that plasma (or serum) is not the ideal material for the analysis of carnitine and acylcarnitines.

Keywords : carnitine; acylcarnitines; acyl-CoA; tandem mass spectrometry; red blood cells; metabolism.

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