Simultaneous quantification of urine flunitrazepam, nimetazepam and nitrazepam by using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Background: Benzodiazepines are used in hypnotics, sedation, and anti-anxiety. Recently liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been vastly developed for drug analysis in biological samples.

Methods: We developed and validated a LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of flunitrazepam (FM2), nimetazepam and nitrazepam levels in 87 benzodiazepine positive human urine specimens by enzyme immunoassay.

Sparc (Osteonectin) functions in morphogenesis of the pharyngeal skeleton and inner ear.

Sparc (Osteonectin), a matricellular glycoprotein expressed by many differentiated cells, is a major non-collagenous constituent of vertebrate bones. Recent studies indicate that Sparc expression appears early in development, although its function and regulation during embryogenesis are largely unknown. We cloned zebrafish sparc and investigated its role during development, using a mo rpholino antisense oligonucleotide-based knockdown approach.