Microdialysis monitoring of catecholamines and excitatory amino acids in the rat and mouse brain: recent developments based on capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection--a mini-review

Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2003 Oct;23(4-5):793-804. doi: 10.1023/a:1025009221285.

Abstract

1. Although microdialysis is a widely used approach for in vivo monitoring extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations, it has been previously limited in many cases by its poor temporal resolution. It is clear that when 10-30-min sampling is performed, short-lasting changes in extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations can be overlooked. Such a low sampling rate is necessary when combining microdialysis with the conventional analytical methods like high performance liquid chromatography. 2. Since capillary electrophoresis coupled to laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIFD) allows the detection of attomoles of neurotransmitters, the temporal resolution of microdialysis may be significantly improved: high sampling rates, in the range of 5 s to 1 min, have been already reported by our group and others using CE-LIFD for simultaneously analyzing catecholamines and amino acids in microdialysates. 3. The power of combining microdialyis and CE-LIFD is shown, using examples of physiological and pharmacological studies dealing with the dynamics of in vivo efflux processes and/or interactions between neurotransmitters.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Catecholamines / analysis*
  • Catecholamines / metabolism
  • Electrophoresis, Capillary / instrumentation
  • Electrophoresis, Capillary / methods*
  • Excitatory Amino Acids / analysis*
  • Excitatory Amino Acids / metabolism
  • Lasers
  • Mice
  • Microdialysis / instrumentation
  • Microdialysis / methods
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / instrumentation
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Rats
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Catecholamines
  • Excitatory Amino Acids