The Isolation And Quantification Of Noradrenalin And The Effects of 6-Hydroxydopamine On The Noradrenalin Levels Of The Cerebral Cortex Of Mice

Abstract

Noradrenalin was isolated on a Dowex-50X8 cation-exchange resin and quantified by the trihydroxyindole technique of fluorometry. A comparison of column dimensions showed a longer, thinner column was significantly more efficient in isolating noradrenalin. Subcutaneous injections of 6-OHDA were shown to significantly decrease the noradrenalin levels of the cerebral cortex of neonatal and adult mice. However, no effect was noted on mice injected as infants and allowed to mature. This suggests that the effects of 6-OHDA are transient at best, and that the blood-brain barrier to catecholamines is not as effective in mice as rats. Discussion of the limitations of the procedure is included.