title: Use of alumina, sephadex G10, and ion-exchange columns to purify samples for determination of epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, homovanillic acid, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in urine.
abstract: We investigated the usefulness of small Sephadex columns, prepared in Pasteur pipettes, in purifying samples to be analyzed for catecholamines, homovanillic acid, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. After free catecholamines in urine samples were purified on alumina followed by Sephadex G10, a reliable and simultaneous quantification of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine was achieved by using high-performance liquid-chromatography with electrochemical detection. Purification of urine on Bio-Rad prepacked ion-exchange columns followed by Sephadex G10 resulted in a reliable, fast (200 samples processed per week) method for determination of free catecholamines in urine. Analytical recoveries of both methods were between 80 and 95%, with a CV of about 3%. Single purification on Sephadex G10 sufficed to allow simultaneous determination of homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in urine. Analytical recovery for this method was about 90%, with a CV of about 5%. Sephadex G10 columns, which can be re-used without regeneration for at least one year, appear to have a great potential in clinical chemistry.
mesh_terms: D002845:Chromatography / Q000379:methods; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004298:Dopamine / Q000652:urine*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000652:urine*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D010648:Phenylacetates; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid; D004837:Epinephrine