SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF NORADRENALINE AND 3-METHOXY-4-HYDROXYPHENYLETHYLENEGLYCOL SULFATE IN DISCRETE BRAIN-REGIONS OF THE RAT

A fluorometric method for measuring both noradrenaline (NA) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol sulfate (MHPG-SO4) in the rat brain was studied. The MHPG-SO4 assay was improved in regard to separation and sensitivity to the point where 2-3 ng of the compound can be detected. The simultaneous assay of NA and MHPG-SO4 from the same sample was also attained by dividing the H2SO4 extract from the brain tissue into two portions. The method is so sensitive and accurate that it permits determination of both NA and MHPG-SO4 in brain samples as small as the hypothalamus of the rat. © 1979.