title: Gas chromatographic--mass spectrometric determination of phenylacetic acid in human blood.
abstract: Phenyl acetic acid, a metabolite of 2-phenyl ethylamine, acts as a neuromodulator in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway stimulating the release of dopamine. The evaluation of phenyl acetic acid concentration in the biological fluid reflects phenyl ethylamine levels thus allowing the assessment of the modulatory role of this endogenous substance. Changes in biological fluids levels of 2-phenylethylamine and/or in its metabolite have been reported in affective disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia. Recently, the occurrence of the "attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome" has been frequently reported in childhood population and involvement of dopaminergic dysfunction in this disease has been suspected. A fast, reliable and reproducible method for the determination of phenyl acetic acid in human blood, is therefore needed in order to have a screening tool for monitoring both healthy childhood population and suspected "attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome" patients. The gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method here described makes use of a deuterated internal standard in order to overcome problems related to the lack of reproducibility often encountered when a derivatization step is performed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Piazza Rinascimento 6, 61029 Urbino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mangani
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canestrari
authors.forename: Arnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berloni
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maione
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pagliarani
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mangani
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D015415:Biomarkers; D010648:Phenylacetates; C025136:phenylacetic acid