A simultaneous flow injection method (FIA) was developed for the determination of acetylcholine and choline. This method is based on the determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced from acetylcholine and choline by enzyme reactions. The determination of H2O2 was carried out by Co(II)-catalyzed luminol chemiluminescence (CL) reaction. The addition of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in this CL system enhanced the CL intensity and sodium hydrogencarbonate showed an activating effect on the catalysis of Co(II) on the CL reaction. Interference of albumin for the CL reaction was removed by introducing an on-line dialysis unit and anion exchange column in the FIA system. A 10-6 mol dm-3 level of acetylcholine and choline can be determined at a rate of 6 samples per hour (12 peaks). The method was successfully applied to the determination of acetylcholine and choline in a culture medium.
KeywordsFlow injection analysis, micelle-enhanced esterase, choline oxidase, Co(II) catalysis luminol chemiluminescence, enzyme reaction, acetylcholineAcetylcholine is one of the neurotransmitters in the central and peripheral nervous systems and is converted to choline as a metabolite with the action of acetylcholine esterase (AChE). Then the choline produced is successively hydrolyzed by choline oxidase (ChO) to betaine and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), consuming any dissolved oxygen in the sample solution. Recently pharmacological effects of acetylcholine and choline were reported in connection with the development of medication for Alzheimer-type senile dementia 1 Therefore, the determination of trace amounts of acetylcholine and choline has considerable importance in medical research and clinical diagnoses. Various methods for acetylcholine and choline have been reported, such as HPLC2-5, spectrophotometry6, electrochemical method including enzyme sensor'_12, peroxyoxalate CL method13, GC/MS 14, LC/MS15 and radioenzymatic method.16,17 However, these methods are laborious, time-consuming, lack sensitivity and need expensive apparatus. A simple and sensitive method for both substrates is thus required.On the other hand, the CL method has been known as a sensitive and simple one for the determination of H2O2 and various biological substances)8 The present paper describes the simultaneous flow injection analysis (FIA) of acetylcholine and choline based on the luminol CL reaction in a micellar system with on-line dialysis19-21, and on the determination of H2O2 produced from acetylcholine and choline by enzyme reactions according to Eqs. (1) and (2).In the determination of acetylcholine, coexisting choline was removed after conversion to H2O2 by reaction (2), followed by the decomposition of H2O2 to oxygen by the action of catalase (CAT) according toThen acetylcholine was subsequently hydrolyzed to H2O2 via Eqs.(1) and (2). In the determination of choline, only the second enzyme reaction (Eq. (2)) was used. The concentrations of H2O2 produced from acetylcholine and choline were successively determined by Co(II)-catalyzed luminol CL reacti...