[Determination of corticosterone in the rat plasma using adsorption micro-HPLC]

A simple and sensitive procedure is developed for estimation of corticosterone in rat blood plasma. The procedure involved extraction of the substance with methylene chloride in alkaline medium followed by adsorption micro-HPLC on Silasorb 600 in the system of chloroform-methanol using cortisone as an internal standard. The assay enabled to estimate as low as 10 pmole of corticosterone per a sample within 20 min (including 6 min for the chromatographic separation). Efficiency of the assay was confirmed by dynamic estimations of corticosterone content in rat blood during acute alcohol intoxication.