High-performance liquid chromatography of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines extracted from plasma and platelets.
A fast method for extraction and concentration of tryptamine (TA), 5-hydroxy-TA, and 5-methoxy-TA was developed using reverse-phase C-18 sample preparation columns in combination with an ion-pairing reagent. Using this method, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (THBC), 6-hydroxy-THBC, and 6-methoxy-THBC, the respective reaction products formed after reaction of formaldehyde with the primary amines mentioned above, and beta-carboline (BC, norharman) and 1-methyl-beta-carboline (1-Me-BC, harman) could also be extracted from human and rat platelets and platelet-poor plasma (PPP). A HPLC method combined with fluorometric detection was developed for the quantitative determination of these compounds in the picomole range. The formation of beta-carbolines during the extraction procedure was below the limit of detection of the assay procedure. 6-OH-THBC, THBC, 1-Me-BC, and 5-HT were identified as normal constituents of human platelets, whereas only 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 6-OH-THBC could be identified in human PPP. In rat platelets and PPP 5-HT, but no THBCs, could be detected.
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000032:analysis*; D002243:Carbolines / Q000097:blood*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007211:Indoles / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood
D002243:Carbolines; D007211:Indoles; D012701:Serotonin; C009804:tryptoline