MEASUREMENT OF NANOGRAM AMOUNTS OF PIPERIDINE IN TISSUES BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY

A gas chromatographic method is presented which allows the determination of piperidine in tissue in nanogram quantities. Reaction of the perchloric acid tissue extracts with 3,5-dinitro-4-chlorobenzotrifluoride followed by extraction with hexane, results in a derivative of piperidine suitable for electron capture detection. The specificity of the procedure is confirmed by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Using this procedure the mean concentration of piperidine in whole mouse brain was 219 pmoles per g tissue. No significant difference between the concentration of piperidine in the brains of active and sleeping mice could be found.