Fully automated electrophoretically mediated microanalysis system for CYP1A1 activity monitoring

In order to evaluate the potentiality of capillary electrophoresis for CYP1A1 activity monitoring, an in-line method was developed with the well-known 7-ethoxycoumarin substrate. The electrophoretically mediated microanalysis approach was used with CYP1A1 supersomes to provide a rapid and fully automated method. The in-line homogenous enzyme assay was performed in physiological conditions (pH 7.4), whereas a MEKC buffer was used as background electrolyte. In order to reduce the analysis time, the short end injection was performed. Firstly a plug containing CYP1A1 supersomes was hydrodynamically injected into a fused silica capillary, followed by a plug of co-factor (NADPH) and substrate (7-ethoxycoumarin) and finally another plug of CYP1A1 (sandwich mode). The experimental conditions were finely investigated and tuned by design of experiment methodology. The metabolization rate measured in the optimized conditions was comparable with the one obtained after off-line metabolization. Finally, inhibition studies were conducted and a significant decrease of 7-hydroxycoumarin formation was observed using apigenin as CYP1A1 potent inhibitor