HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC-DETERMINATION OF BETA-ALANINE, BETA-AMINOISOBUTYRIC ACID AND GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC-ACID IN TISSUE-EXTRACTS AND URINE OF NORMAL AND (AMINOOXY)ACETATE-TREATED RATS

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of beta-alani ne, beta-aminoisobutyric acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid in biologica l materials. Amino acids including these beta- and gamma-amino acids w ere derivatized with 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4'-sulfonyl (dabsyl) ch loride and dabsyl amino acids formed were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Dabsyl derivatives of these be ta- and gamma-amino acids were well separated from other dabsyl-amino acids. The method was applied to the determination of these beta- and gamma-amino acids in trichloroacetic acid extracts of various tissues and to the urine of normal rats and those injected with (aminooxy)acet ate (AOA). AOA injection (15 mg per kg of body mass) produced remarkab le increase in p-alanine contents in liver, kidney and urine (10.2, 4. 6 and 25.7 times, respectively). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.