Rapid and sensitive HPLC–MS/MS method for the quantification of dopamine, GABA, serotonin, glutamine and glutamate in rat brain regions after exposure to tobacco cigarettes

Abstract

Tobacco smoking is a preventable main cause of fatal diseases. Accurate measurements of the effects it has on neurotransmitters are essential in developing new strategies for smoking cessation. Moreover, measurements of neurotransmitter levels can aid in developing drugs that counteract the effects of smoking. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a fast, simultaneous and sensitive method for measuring the levels of neurotransmitters in rat brain after the exposure of tobacco cigarettes. The selected neurotransmitters include dopamine, GABA, serotonin, glutamine and glutamate. The method is based on high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic separation was achieved within 3 min using a Zorbax SB C18 column (3.0 × 100 mm, 1.8 μm particle size). The mobile phase consisted of HPLC‐grade water and acetonitrile each containing 0.3% heptafluorobutyric acid and 0.5% formic acid at gradient conditions. The linear range was 0.015–0.07, 825–7,218, 140–520, 63.42–160.75 and 38.25 × 103 to 110.35 × 103 ng/ml for dopamine, GABA, serotonin, glutamine and glutamate, respectively. Inter‐ and intra‐run accuracy were in the range 97.82–103.37% with a precision (CV%) of ≤0.90%. The results revealed that 4 weeks of cigarette exposure significantly increased neurotransmitter levels after exposure to tobacco cigarettes in various brain regions, including the hippocampus and the amygdala. This increase in neurotransmitters levels may in turn activate the nicotine dependence pathway.

SERS detection of dopamine using metal-chelated Ag nanoshell

“…7,8 Lastly, lower levels of acetylcholine are associated with Alzheimer's disease, 9 while lower levels of norepinephrine are associated with depression. 10 Quantitative analyses of these neurotransmitters are typically achieved using methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), [11][12][13] electrochemical methods, 14,15 uorescence, 16 etc. However, these methods suffer from various limitations, such as being restricted to use with off-site analytes and the inability to accomplish instantaneous identication.…”

Minimizing False Positives in Gold Nanoparticle–Aptamer Biosensors for Enhanced Serotonin Detection

“…24 Current clinical tests, especially for depression, depend on patient symptoms, which can lead to false diagnoses 25 and emphasize the need for careful monitoring. Existing methods such as liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry 26,27 and fluorescence detection 28,29 can be inaccurate due to their instability. 30 Our label-free aptamer technique employs aptamer pairs with AuNPs, facilitating selective target binding and reducing nonspecific interactions with AuNPs.…”

“…Current clinical tests, especially for depression, depend on patient symptoms, which can lead to false diagnoses and emphasize the need for careful monitoring. Existing methods such as liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry , and fluorescence detection , are precise but complex, requiring specialized equipment. Immunoassays based on antibodies can be inaccurate due to their instability .…”

Toxic Metals Transfer from Heating Coils to e-liquids: Safety Assessment of Popular e-cigarettes in Jordan

“…Studying the toxicity of substances is very important [23][24][25][26][27]. In our previous studies, we investigated the levels of toxic metals in various pharmaceutical preparations from a local market in Jordan, which is claimed to be a relatively safe option for users [28,29].…”