title: The presence of trace amines in postmortem cerebrospinal fluid in humans.
abstract: The postmortem levels of biogenic amines in cerebrospinal fluid may represent a useful tool in defining some pathological conditions; no information is available concerning the occurrence of trace amines in postmortem cerebrospinal fluid. Thus, the occurrence of octopamine, synephrine and tyramine were evaluated by using a HPLC system in 20 postmortem samples of cerebrospinal fluid (obtained from 11 males and 9 females) and their levels were compared with those of 20 living subjects (obtained from 11 males and 9 females). The results show that trace amines dramatically increase in the postmortem cerebrospinal fluid (100, 20, and 4 fold increase for tyramine, octopamine, and synephrine respectively). To our knowledge, our data represent the first time trace amines have been identified in postmortem cerebrospinal fluid and the dramatic increase observed for tyramine has the potential of becoming a new tool in forensic science for better defining the time of death.
authors.affiliation: Pathological Anatomy, Via Marconi 19, 35045 Monselice, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balbi
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vasapollo
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boschetto
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cocco
authors.forename: Alberta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farruggio
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000737:chemistry*; D001344:Autopsy; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009655:Octopamine / Q000737:chemistry; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013578:Synephrine / Q000737:chemistry; D014439:Tyramine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D009655:Octopamine; D013578:Synephrine; D014439:Tyramine