The structurally related glycopeptide antibiotics vancomycin, ristocetin A, and teicoplanin can all be used as chiral selectors in capillary electrophoresis (CE). Both experimental and modeling studies were done to elucidate their similarities and differences. There are identifiable morphological differences in the aglycon macrocyclic portions of these three compounds. In addition, there are other structural distinctions that can affect their CE enantioselectivity, migration times, and efficiency. Teicoplanin is the most distinct of the three and is the only one that is surface active. Its aggregational properties appear to affect its enantioselectivity among other things. The similar but not identical structures of the three glycopeptides produce similar but not identical enantioselectivities. This leads to the empirically useful "principle of complementary separations", in which a partial resolution with one chiral selector can be brought to baseline with one of the others. Overall, ristocetin A appears to have the greatest applicability for CE enantioseparations.

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Plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and amniotic fluid were examined to determine whether free D-amino acids were present and if so at what levels. It was found that D-amino acids exist in all physiological fluids tested, but that their level varied considerably. The lowest levels of D-amino acids were usually found in amniotic fluid or CSF (almost always < 1% of the corresponding L-amino acid). The highest levels were found in urine (usually tenth percent to low percent levels). Pipecolic acid seemed to be different from the other amino acids tested in that it was excreted primarily as the D-enantiomer (often > 90%). Correspondingly high levels of D-pipecolic acid were not found in plasma. Some of the trends found in this work seemed to be analogous to those found in a recent rodent study.

Teicoplanin is the third in a series of macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics that has been evaluated as a chiral selector in capillary electrophoresis (CE). It was used to resolve over 100 anionic racemates at low selector concentrations. Like the other related glycopeptide antibiotics, its enantioselectivity tends to be opposite to that of the ansa-type antibiotics which prefers cationic compounds;particularly amines. Factors that affect teicoplanin-based enantioseparations include the selector concentration, pH, and the concentration of the organic modifier. The temperature and the nature and strength of the buffer are also known to affect the stability of the chiral selector as well as the enantioseparation. Teicoplanin exhibited some features that were not noted with the other glycopeptide antibiotics. For example, it aggregates (forms micelles) in aqueous solutions and this influences its enantioselectivity. Unlike the other studied glycopeptides, teicoplanin precipitates in alcoholwater mixtures. It also binds less to the capillary wall than vancomycin as evidenced by the faster electroosmotic flow velocity. The micellization of teicoplanin is pH dependent so that the effect of pH on enantiorecognition is more complex for teicoplanin than for other chiral selectors. Also it is shown that the simple model proposed to explain the role of organic modifiers in cyclodextrin-based CE enantioseparations may not apply to these and other systems. 0 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Unambiguous methodologies were developed for the accurate and reproducible determination of specific D-amino acids in the physiological fluids of common laboratory rodents. Depending on the strain of rodent and the type of amino acid examined, excreted D-amino acids ranged from the low percent levels to over 40 percent of the total specific amino acid level. Relative plasma levels tended to be considerably lower, typically an order of magnitude less. A number of factors were found to alter the relative amounts of excreted D-amino acids. This included: diet, age, pregnancy, advanced cancer, and antibiotics. The two factors that seemed to result in substantially lower levels of excreted D-amino acids were fasting and young age. Pregnancy was the only factor that consistently resulted in higher relative D-amino acid excretion. Much of the observed data are believed to be related to the efficiency with which the kidney reabsorbs L-amino acids. No claims are made as to the meaning and/or importance of free D-amino acids in regards to pathology, age, clinical usefulness and so forth. However, a knowledge of normal D-amino acid levels and dynamics is necessary before it is possible to identify perturbations caused by either natural or pathological conditions. The techniques are now available that should allow these topics to be addressed properly.