Serotonin plasma assays

The use of HPLC to analyze biogenic amines and their acid metabolites is well documented. HPLC assays for classical biogenic amines such as norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), dopamine (DA), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) and their acid metabolites are based on several physicochemical properties that include a catechol moiety (aryl 1,2-dihydroxy), basicity, easily oxidized nature, and/or native fluorescence characteristics (Anderson, 1985). Based on these characteristics, various types of detector systems can be employed to assay low concentrations of these analytes in various matrices such as plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSE), tissue, and dialysate. 

The determination of catecholamines requires a highly sensitive and selective assay procedure capable of measuring very low levels of catecholamines that may be present. In past years, a number of methods have been reported for measurement of catecholamines in both plasma and body tissues. A few of these papers have reported simultaneous measurement of more than two catecholamine analytes. One of them utilized Used UV for endpoint detection and the samples were chromatographed on a reversed-phase phenyl analytical column. The procedure was slow and cumbersome because ofdue to the use of a complicated liquid-liquid extraction and each chromatographic run lasted more than 25 min with a detection Umit of 5-10 ng on-column. Other sensitive HPLC methods reported in the literature use electrochemical detection with detection limits 12, 6, 12, 18, and 12 pg for noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleace-tic acid, and homovanillic acid, respectively. The method used very a complicated mobile phase in terms of its composition while whilst the low pH of 3.1 used might jeopardize the chemical stability of the column. Analysis time was approximately 30 min. Recently reported HPLC methods utilize amperometric end-point detection. 

Kwarts E, Kwarts J, Rutgers H. A simple paired-ion liquid chromatography assay for serotonin in cerebrospinal fluid, platelet-rich plasma, serum and urine. Ann Clin Biochem 1984 21 (Pt 5) 425-9. 

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