title: Analysis of tryptamine at the femtomole level in tissue using negative ion chemical ionization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: An ultra sensitive method for the detection of tryptamine, an endogenous amine in mammalian neuronal systems, at the femtomole level has been developed using negative chemical ionization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (NCI-GC-MS). The amine is converted into a perfluorinated spirocyclic derivative, e.g. 1-pentafluoro-2-methylenepyrrolidine-3-spiro-3'-(3H-indole) which is detected using selected-ion monitoring of the (M-2HF) ions of the endogenous and deuterated internal standard compounds. Two mass spectrometers were compared; they gave minimum detectable quantities from tissue samples of 40 pg (VG-7070F) and 0.9 pg (VG-70S) respectively. These detection levels are approximately 5-200 times lower than have been obtained by previous MS methods.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Durden
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Boulton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014363:Tryptamines; C030820:tryptamine