2013/07/23 by Steven A. Barker, Jimo Borjigin, Izabela Lomnicka +1 · 5 citations
Neuroscience · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Psychology · #Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research #Pharmacological Receptor Mechanisms and Effects #Psychedelics and Drug Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/bmc.2981
openalex publication_date 2013/07/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
We report a qualitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the simultaneous analysis of the three known N,N-dimethyltryptamine endogenous hallucinogens, their precursors and metabolites, as well as melatonin and its metabolic precursors. The method was characterized using artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) as the matrix and was subsequently applied to the analysis of rat brain pineal gland-aCSF microdialysate. The method describes the simultaneous analysis of 23 chemically diverse compounds plus a deuterated internal standard by direct injection, requiring no dilution or extraction of the samples. The results demonstrate that this is a simple, sensitive, specific and direct approach to the qualitative analysis of these compounds in this matrix. The protocol also employs stringent MS confirmatory criteria for the detection and confirmation of the compounds examined, including exact mass measurements. The excellent limits of detection and broad scope make it a valuable research tool for examining the endogenous hallucinogen pathways in the central nervous system. We report here, for the first time, the presence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in pineal gland microdialysate obtained from the rat.