Iontophoretic release of acetylcholine, noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine and D-lysergic acid diethylamide from micropipettes.

1. The in vitro iontophoretic release of tritium-labelled acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine from large and small micropipettes and noradrenaline and D-lysergic acid diethylamide from small micropipettes was determined by liquid scintillation counting.2. The release was directly proportional to the electrical charge passed in the range normally used in the iontophoretic study of these compounds. The transport numbers obtained for the large micropipettes were approximately double those with the small micropipettes. A very low transport number was found for D-lysergic acid diethylamide.3. The spontaneous leakage was small and did not vary appreciably with time.4. The iontophoretic release of acetylcholine in vitro agreed with the in vitro measurements.5. The brain-stem tissue concentration of D-lysergic acid diethylamide after intravenous injection into intact and decerebrate cats was determined.