OBJECTIVETo develop a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for detection of monoamine neurotransmitters and its metabolites after pre-column derivatization with dansyl chloride.

METHODSThe C(18) chromatograph column (150 mm×4.6 mm×5 µm) was selected for detection, and derived by dansyl chloride (10 mg/ml) under the condition of 50°C water bath by pH11 buffer solution. 20 µl acetic acid acetone solution (1.0 mol/L) was then mixed in for termination of the reaction. Then the solution was cooling to room temperature, 0.1 mol/L acetic acid zinc-acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran solution was adopted for mobile phrase, with the volume ratio at 62:35:3. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min between 0-10 min, 2.0 ml/min between 10-35 min. The ultraviolet detection wavelength was 286 nm. The above method separately detected monoamine neurotransmitters and its metabolites and evaluated the limit of detection, accurate degree and accuracy degree.

RESULTSThe linear relations between each component was good in the range of 1 - 20 µg/ml (r = 0.999). The lowest detection limit of norepinephrine, dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and the metabolites 3-methoxy-4-benzoglycols, homovanillic acid and 5-heteroauxin were separately 0.60, 0.80, 0.41, 0.21, 0.19 and 0.1 µg/ml; while the average recovery rates were between 78.5% - 95.9%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 6.62%, 7.64%, 2.98%, 3.60%, 5.09% and 3.09%, respectively. In the process of selection and optimization of the chromatographic conditions, we observed the importance of metal ions to discretion, and discussed the temperature, pH of the buffer solution and dosage of dansyl chloride in derivation. Under the above conditions, the reaction was perfect, and the baseline of the detected materials thoroughly separated.

CONCLUSIONThe method to detect monoamine neurotransmitters and its metabolites by HPLC and pre-column derivatization with dansyl chloride was established; and this method could provide reference for the detection of polyamine by HPLC.

Biogenic Monoamines ; analysis ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Dansyl Compounds ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; analysis ; metabolism

Amino Acids ; urine ; Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; urine ; Male ; Microwaves ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Paraquat ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of environment temperature on the recovery of microdialysis probe for neurotransmitters.

METHODSNeurotransmitters NE, DA, and 5-HT were dialyzed with 4 mm membrane length microdialysis probes in different environmental temperature. There were three conditions: lower temperature condition, the temperature of standard solution and that of the perfusate were both 24 degree; higher temperature condition,both were 37.5 degree; and the middle temperature:the perfusate was 24 degree and the standard solution was 37.5 degree. The concentrations of neurotransmitters in the dialyzed solution and the standard solution were analyzed by HPLC-ECD, and recoveries were then calculated.

RESULTIn lower temperature condition,the recoveries of microdialysis probe for NE, DA, 5-HT were 18.3 %, 19.6% and 16.9%, respectively. In middle temperature condition, the recoveries were 29.6%, 30.7% and 24.3%, respectively, and in higher temperature condition, those were 49.2%, 47.5% and 37.2%, respectively. With the analysis of variance, the recoveries for NE, DA, 5-HT increased with temperature significantly (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONBoth the perfusate and the standard solution affects the environmental temperature of microdialysis probe, which in turns affects the recovery of microdialysis probe for neurotransmitters. So in order to calculate the recovery more accurately, the standard solution/the perfusate should be kept in body temperature.

Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; analysis ; Brain ; metabolism ; Brain Chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Humans ; Microdialysis ; methods ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; analysis ; Oxadiazoles ; Temperature

To review the reports concering the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in treating depression in recent years and combine research achievements of the authors, we summarized the research progress on therapeutic mechanism of depression treated by traditional Chinese medicine. Previous researches proved that traditional Chinese medicine played antidepressant role by affecting the monoamine neurotransmitters, excitotoxicity, Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis, hippocampal neurons and neurotrophic factor et al. It has suggested that depression treated by traditional Chinese medicine is through a lot of channels, target spots and levels.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Depressive Disorder ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Glutamic Acid ; metabolism ; Humans ; Nerve Growth Factors ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy

OBJECTIVETo determine the mechanisms underlying the anti-depressant effects of Kaixin Jieyu Decoction (, KJD) by investigating the effects of KJD on behavior, monoamine neurotransmitter levels, and serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype expression in the brain in a rat model of depression.

METHODSThe rat depression model was established using chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Forty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, depression model (CUMS), CUMS+KJD (7.7 g/kg(-1)·d(-1) of crude drug), and CUMS+fluoxetine (2.4 mg/kg(-1)·d(-1)) groups (n=12 in each group), and the treatments lasted for 21 days. We regularly evaluated body weight, sucrose consumption, and horizontal and vertical activity scores in open-field tests. The content of the monoamine neurotransmitters 5-HT, norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA) and the DA metabolite homovanillic acid in the cerebral cortex, and 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor mRNA in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, were determined respectively by high-performance liquid chromatography-coularray electrochemical detector and real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, CUMS rats showed a variety of depression-like behavioral changes, including a significant reduction in body weight, sucrose consumption, and horizontal and vertical activity scores in open-field tests (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and a significant decrease in 5-HT and NE levels and 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression. In contrast, they showed a significant increase in 5-HT1A receptor mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex. In the hippocampus, 5-HT1A receptor mRNA expression was lower whereas 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression was higher than in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Treatment with KJD or fluoxetine partially attenuated these changes (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONKJD could normalize the levels of 5-HT and NE and adjust the balance of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor expression in rat cerebrum, and this may be one of mechanisms of antidepressant effects of KJD.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Depression ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Serotonin ; classification ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of intranasal instilling titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on monoaminergic neurotransmitters at different-time exposure.

METHODSCD female mice were intranasally instilled three different-sized (25 nm, 80 nm and 155 nm) TiO, suspension every other day in a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight. The control group was instilled the same volume of Milli-Q water. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to analyze the titanium contents in murine brain after exposure to TiO2 particles 2 days, 10 days, 20 days and 30 days. The monoaminergic neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA), 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic (HVA), were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with electrochemical detector.

RESULTSAfter exposure to TiO, nanoparticles 10 days, the titanium contents in murine brain were increased, the titanium content in the 25 nm group was up to (1059.3 +/- 293.5) ng/g. In 20 days, the titanium content decreased slowly with the metabolism of titanium in vivo, but it kept at a high level, the content decreased to (654.7 +/- 269.2) ng/g in the 25 nm group. After exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles 30 days, the titanium contents had no obviously change. Because of the accumulation of TiO, in the brain, the contents of NE and 5-HT increased significantly after exposure to 80 nm and 155 nm TiO, nanoparticles 20 days, while the decreased contents of DA, DOPAC, HVA and 5-HIAA were observed.

CONCLUSIONThe inhaled TiO2 nanoparticles could be translocated to and deposited in murine brain after absorbing by nasal mucosa, and further influence the releases and metabolisms of monoaminergic neurotransmitters in brain.

Administration, Intranasal ; Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Brain Chemistry ; Female ; Metal Nanoparticles ; Mice ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Time ; Titanium ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo find out the essence of the traditional Chinese medicine properties from detecting the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter after given different traditional Chinese drug.

METHODThe property of rhizome curcumae and radix curcumae is opposite, they were given to rats respectively for one month. Next, HPLC-ECD method was used to detect the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter in different encephalic region.

RESULTRhizome curcumae can raise the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter, but radix curcumae inhibits the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter.

CONCLUSIONThere are correlations between the traditional Chinese medicine properties and monoamine neurotransmitter.

Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Changes in the levels of biogenic amines in different brain regions and the cerebrospinal fluid in rats were measured after acute or chronic treatment with tricyclic antidepressants. After single or 3 weeks' treatment with imipramine or desipramine, blocks of tissues were obtained from seven regions of the brain (frontal cortex, corpus striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, substantia nigra and cerebellum) immediately after collection of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cisterna magna. The concentrations of biogenic amines and their metabolites (norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)) in brain tissues and the CSF were measured using the high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection system (HPLC-ECD). Treatment with desipramine or imipramine caused major alterations in the concentrations of central norepinephrine or 5-HT and its metabolite, respectively. Brain regional responses were variable according to the kind of tricyclic antidepressants and the duration of treatment. It is noteworthy that chronic treatment with both desipramine and imipramine caused altered hippocampal concentrations of norepinephrine and/or 5-HT and its metabolites. Striatal DOPAC concentrations were also changed after acute or chronic treatment with both drugs. These results suggest that tricyclic antidepressants altered neurotransmission according to the brain region, and the hippocampal norepinephrine and 5-HT and/or the striatal dopamine may have a significant role for the expression of antidepressant action of tricyclic antidepressants.
Animal ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/*pharmacology ; Biogenic Monoamines/*metabolism ; Brain/*drug effects/metabolism ; Desipramine/pharmacology ; Imipramine/pharmacology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Formaldehyde ; toxicity ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C