GC–MS measurement of spermidine and putrescine in serum of elderly subjects: intriguing association between spermidine and homoarginine

• Published in: Amino acids Vol. 52; no. 2; pp. 225 - 234
• Main Authors: Hanff, Erik, Bollenbach, Alexander, Beckmann, Bibiana, Brunner, Gorig, Tsikas, Dimitrios
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.02.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amino acids; Analytical Chemistry; Biochemical Engineering; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; blood serum; Chromatography; Citrulline; elderly; Females; Gas chromatography; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; Geriatrics; Helicobacter pylori; Life Sciences; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metabolism; Neurobiology; Older people; Original Article; Polyamines; Polyamines: Biochemical and Pathophysiological Properties; Proteomics; Putrescine; Scientific imaging; seroprevalence; Spermidine; t-test; Vortices; Amino acids; Serum; GC–MS; Polyamines; Biogenic amines; AGAT
• ISSN: 0939-4451; 1438-2199; 1438-2199
• DOI: 10.1007/s00726-019-02786-3

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) methods were developed, validated and used to measure serum spermidine (SPD) and putrescine (PUT) in 9 seropositive Helicobacter pylori ( Hp  +) and 18 seronegative Helicobacter pylori ( Hp  −) subjects (31–105 years). Homoarginine (hArg) was also measured by GC–MS. There were no statistical differences (unpaired t test) between the Hp  + and Hp  − subjects with respect to the serum concentrations of SPD (67.6 ± 40.3 vs. 93.7 ± 37.7 nM, P  = 0.109), PUT (220 ± 139 vs. 236 ± 85 nM, P  = 0.708) and hArg (1.60 ± 0.64 µM vs. 1.83 ± 0.74 µM, P  = 0.554). Serum SPD and hArg concentrations correlated with each other ( r  = 0.426, P  = 0.026, n  = 27). The PUT/SPD molar ratio correlated inversely with the hArg concentration ( r  = − 0.406, P  = 0.034, n  = 27) and proteinic citrulline ( r  = − 0.487, P  = 0.01, n  = 27). These results suggest that SPD and PUT synthesis is associated with hArg formation and protein citrullination in healthy elderly subjects. The mechanisms underlying these associations and their significance remain to be elucidated.