Identification in human urine and blood of a novel selenium metabolite, Se-methylselenoneine, a potential biomarker of metabolization in mammals of the naturally occurring selenoneine, by HPLC coupled to electrospray hybrid linear ion trap-orbital ion trap MS

Metallomics. 2011 May 1;3(5):513-20. doi: 10.1039/c0mt00060d. Epub 2011 Feb 18.

Abstract

Speciation analysis of selenium in human urine allowed for the first time the identification of a novel selenium metabolite, Se-methylselenoneine. Despite a concentration at low ppb level, its characterization was achieved after sample purification by solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by the parallel coupling of the bidimensional RP/HILIC chromatography with ICP-MS and ESI-LTQ Orbitrap MS detection. To confirm its biological significance with regards to selenoneine, the recently discovered analog of ergothioneine, and to discard the possibility of sample preparation artifacts, a new method was developed to monitor its actual presence, as well as the occurrence of its sulfur and/or non-methylated analogs, in non-preconcentrated urine and blood samples of non-supplemented humans. It consisted in a HILIC ESI-MS(3) method in high resolution mode (resolution 30 000 at m/z 400) with large isolation width windows for precursor ions. These two particular settings allowed respectively to keep observing the specific mass defect of selenium- and sulfur-containing molecules and to maintain the characteristic selenium pattern in product ions created through MS(n) fragmentations. As a result, all four metabolites were detected in blood and three of them in urine. Moreover, different ratios "methylated/non-methylated" were observed between urine and blood samples, which seemed to indicate their active metabolization. The analytical tool developed here will be of a great importance to further study the occurrence and the potential metabolic role in mammalian organelles, cells and fluids of these very particular and promising redox metabolites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Biomarkers / urine
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Histidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Histidine / blood
  • Histidine / metabolism
  • Histidine / urine
  • Humans
  • Methylation
  • Organoselenium Compounds / blood*
  • Organoselenium Compounds / metabolism
  • Organoselenium Compounds / urine*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Selenium / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*
  • Sulfur / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Organoselenium Compounds
  • Se-methylselenoneine
  • selenoneine
  • Histidine
  • Sulfur
  • Selenium