Concentration of 5-methoxyindoles in the human pineal gland.

The pineal gland concentration of the four 5-methoxyindoles: melatonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, 5-methoxytryptophol and 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid, were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The pineal glands were obtained from 11 subjects 2-3 hours post mortem. The concentration of 5-methoxytryptophol ranged from 4-93 pmoles/g, 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid from 79-560 pmoles/g and melatonin from 24-6860 pmoles/g. 5-methoxytryptamine was present only in trace amounts (0-12 pmoles/g). A variation over time of these compounds was not evident from the data obtained.