MASS FRAGMENTOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF SOME ACIDIC AND ALCOHOLIC METABOLITES OF BIOGENIC AMINES IN THE RAT BRAIN

Abstract

Abstract —A mass fragmentographic procedure is described for the simultaneous quantification of a number of deaminated metabolites derived from tyramine, octopamine, dopamine, and norepinephrine. With this method, several of the metabolites were measured in normal rat brain. The results support the central nervous system origin of tyramine, octopamine and their metabolites. The concentration of the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid, in the rat brain was found to be about 15% higher than that of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. As for the metabolites of norepinephrine, vanilmandelic acid concentration was found to be about 5% that of 3‐methoxy‐4‐hydroxyphenylglycol. The possible role of vanilmandelic acid in the CNS metabolism of norephrine is discussed.