High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid from plasma and brain

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid (ACPC) from plasma or brain tissue is described. Samples were deproteinized with perchloric acid, centrifuged, alkalinized with potassium hydroxide and recentrifuged. The supernatants were derivatized with o-phthaldialdehyde and injected onto a C18 3-microns column (100 mm x 4 mm I.D.) pumped with 1 ml/min methanol-acetonitrile-0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 6.0 (28:5:67, v/v). The retention times for ACPC and the internal standard were 15 and 31 min, respectively. The minimum detectable amount of ACPC was 0.08 nmol. The extraction recovery of ACPC (2.7-270 nmol) from spiked plasma or brain tissue ranged from 88 to 109%. The intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation for 27 nmol ACPC were 3.9 and 4.9%, respectively. This method was utilized to obtain preliminary pharmacokinetic parameters following ACPC administration to mice.