Rethinking Drug Analysis in Health Care: High-Throughput Analysis of 71 Drugs of Abuse in Oral Fluid Using Ion Mobility--High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

We have identified a clinical need for a sensitive, specific, flexible, comprehensive and affordable analytical technology to efficiently detect polydrug use. In addition, the current standard practice of surveilled urine sampling is uncomfortable for the patient; hence, more patient-friendly sample collection methods are requested. To fill these needs, we have developed and validated a high-throughput liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC--HRMS) method for the analysis of drugs of abuse (DoA) in oral fluid (OF).

Osmoprotective effect of ubiquinone in lipid vesicles modelling the E. coli plasma membrane.

Bacteria need to be able to adapt to sudden changes in their environment, including drastic changes in the surrounding osmolarity. As part of this adaptation, the cells adjust the composition of their cytoplasmic membrane. Recent studies have shown that ubiquinones, lipid soluble molecules involved in cell respiration, are overproduced by bacteria grown in hyperosmotic conditions and it is thus believed that these molecules can provide with osmoprotection.

Choice of cuvette material can influence spectroscopic leakage and permeability experiments with liposomes.

Liposome solute permeability experiments are widely performed to gain information about lipid membrane characteristics. Spectroscopic methods are often used for this purpose, usually monitoring the leakage of a self-quenching fluorescent dye (e.g.

Effect of ubiquinone-10 on the stability of biomimetic membranes of relevance for the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Ubiquinone-10 (Q10) plays a pivotal role as electron-carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and is also well known for its powerful antioxidant properties. Recent findings suggest moreover that Q10 could have an important membrane stabilizing function. In line with this, we showed in a previous study that Q10 decreases the permeability to carboxyfluorescein (CF) and increases the mechanical strength of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine (POPC) membranes.

Ubiquinone-10 alters mechanical properties and increases stability of phospholipid membranes.

Ubiquinone-10 is mostly known for its role as an electron and proton carrier in aerobic cellular respiration and its function as a powerful antioxidant. Accumulating evidence suggest, however, that this well studied membrane component could have several other important functions in living cells. The current study reports on a previously undocumented ability of ubiquinone-10 to modulate the mechanical strength and permeability of lipid membranes.