MEASURING S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE IN WHOLE-BLOOD, RED-BLOOD-CELLS AND CULTURED-CELLS USING A FAST PREPARATION METHOD AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

The physiological methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) plays a key role in the maintenance of human health and in the prevention of disea se, A convenient clinical test for blood SAM does not exist, even thou gh blood SAM is increasingly seen as an important indicator of health. We have developed a simple procedure to extract SAM from small amount s of blood or cells. The extracted SAM is then measured by high-perfor mance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This measurement is sensitive, pre cise and uses as little as 200 mu l of blood or 0.5.10(6) cultured cel ls per determination. SAM, as tested with this method, under acidic co nditions, is stable for hours and can be frozen for later analysis. Th e method has been used to show that blood SAM varies with species, sex and treatment. We have also measured the SAM levels in cultured cells , and have been able to detect wide variations depending upon treatmen ts administered during the growth of those cells. In conclusion, this is a very rapid and easy method to measure SAR I in biological fluids and cell culture and which could be adapted to the clinical setting.