GLUTATHIONE MEASUREMENT IN HUMAN PLASMA EVALUATION OF SAMPLE COLLECTION, STORAGE AND DERIVATIZATION CONDITIONS FOR ANALYSIS OF DANSYL DERIVATIVES BY HPLC

Literature values for human plasma GSH vary over 10-fold despite the u se of apparently valid analytical procedures for GSH measurement. The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure to minimize error in sample collection, processing and storage that could contribute to suc h differences. HPLC with fluorescence detection of dansyl derivatives was used for quantification. The results show that collection of blood with a butterfly needle and syringe reduces overestimation due to lim ited hemolysis and that use of a preservation solution designed to inh ibit autooxidation and enzymatic degradation allows quantitative recov ery of both GSH and GSSG. Stability tests showed that non-derivatized samples were stable for at least 2 months at - 80 degrees while dansyl derivatives were stable in the dark at 0-4 degrees for 12 months. Res ults from 59 healthy individuals (20-43 years) provided a mean (+/-1 S D) GSH value of 2.09 +/- 1.14 micromolar. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.