MASS-SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF HEMOGLOBIN ADDUCTS FORMED BY METHYL-BROMIDE IN-VITRO

An analytical procedure is described for the identification of the add ucts formed by interaction of methyl bromide and haemoglobin, The reac tion products of in vitro incubation of haemoglobin with methyl bromid e have been characterised by electrospray mass spectrometry and gas ch romatography-mass spectrometry. A prominent reactivity of several pote ntial nucleophilic sites of haemoglobin was observed. Analogous result s were recorded on blood samples of workers exposed to methyl bromide. The results obtained represent the basis for the complete structural characterisation of the modified haemoglobin and demonstrate the usefu lness of the proposed analytical approach for the evaluation of alkyla tion degree and the identification of modified amino acids in proteins .