Abstract
INVESTIGATION of the role of noradrenaline (NA) in behavioural disorders has been hampered by the absence of human tissue or body fluid suitable for repeated analysis which reflects NA metabolism in brain. Several laboratories have shown that brain NA is metabolized primarily to 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG)1–3 which provides a likely indicator in urine for NA neuronal activity in brain. Unfortunately, MHPG found in urine is also derived from NA and adrenaline released peripherally4. It has been shown5–7 that injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) caused permanent destruction of central catecholamine-containing fibres while leaving the peripheral sympathetic system intact5. Urinary MHPG in 6-OHDA-treated animals should, therefore, provide a means to examine the effect of a decrease in NA function due to brain neuronal destruction, upon urinary excretion of this metabolite.
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