DETERMINATION OF NEUROTRANSMITTER AMINO-ACIDS AND BIOGENIC-AMINES IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID BY REVERSED-PHASE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

Conditions for the chromatographic analysis of biogenic amines, their metabolites, and neurotransmitter amino acids in human cerebrospinal f luid were suggested. The use of o-phthalaldehyde with 2-mercaptoethano l for derivatization of amino compounds results in better separation o f the derivatives than the use of 2-methyl-2-propanethiol as the thiol component of the reaction and enhances the sensitivity of analysis. T he chromatographic properties of biogenic amines and neurotransmitter amino acids were used to develop a procedure for the simultaneous dete rmination of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, taur ine, alanine, histidine, tyrosine, and arginine in the biological mate rial examined.