Combined high-performance liquid chromatography-radioimmunoassay for the characterization and quantitative measurement of neuropeptides.

A method for the extraction, separation, characterization and quantitation of angiotensins, opioid peptides and several other neuropeptides in biological samples is described. Gradient elution in different reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic systems gives high resolution with constant recoveries between 60 and 70%, allows UV detection at 220 nm and is compatible with radioimmunoassay. The method is highly reproducible and applicable to the characterization and quantitative measurement of peptides in the femtomolar range. The practicability of the method is demonstrated for angiotensin peptides in plasma, brain and peripheral organs, as well as for opioid peptides in the heart.