Determination of pharmacological levels of harmane, harmine and harmaline in mammalian brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid and plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection
Moncrieff, J.
Journal of Chromatography 496(2): 269-278
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9673 PMID: 2613832 Document Number: 334595
Increased blood aldehyde levels, as occur in alcohol intoxication, could lead to the formation of .beta.-carbolines such as harmane by condensation with indoleamines. Endogenous .beta.-carbolines, therefore, should occur in specific brain areas where indoleamine concentrations are high, whilst exogenous .beta.-carbolines should exhibit an even distribution. The author presents direct and sensitive methods for assaying the .beta.-carbolines harmane, harmine and harmiline in brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid and plasma at picogram sample concentrations using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic with fluorimetric detection and minimal sample preparation. Using these assay methods, it was found that the distribution of .beta.-carbolines from a source exogenous to the brain results in a relatively even distribution within the brain tissue.