pubmed:abstractText |
An automated microbore liquid chromatographic assay with dual electrochemical detection is described for the determination of serotonin, dopamine and their metabolites, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid. Due to the chemical instability of the compounds, the addition of an antioxidant is required for automated analysis over a long period of time (e.g., 20 h). Therefore, the time stability of these substances was tested with different antioxidants. The stability for serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid was poor in acidic medium containing Na2EDTA but could greatly be improved by the addition of L-cysteine and ascorbic acid. Using this assay, the neurotransmitters and their metabolites could easily be determined in microdialysates obtained from different rat brain areas.
|