A reliable method for the simultaneous estimation of dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin in discrete areas of brain

1. Sub-microgram levels of dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5HT) were estimated simultaneously in small discrete areas of brain by a simple combined alumina adsorption-spectrofluorometric technique. 2. The method does not depend on the use of ninhydrin which is reported to interfere with the spectrofluorometric assay of 5HT nor does the method involve the use of phosphate buffers which reportedly are a source of error in catecholamine assays. 3. The method described is suitable for the measurement of amine levels both in normal conditions and when amino levels have been severly reduced by amine-depleting drugs. Neither reserpine nor alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine interfere in the assay.