The Biochemical Core of the proposed TSRI Alcohol Research Center is comprised of two components designed to provide sample analyses and chemical compounds (pharmacological and otherwise) to the Center at large. The biochemical analysis component of the Core will provide analyses of endocannabinoids (Roberto/Siggins and Parsons components, Taffe pilot project), amino acids (Roberto/Siggins and Parsons components), monoamines (Rivier component and Taffe pilot), CRF (Roberto/Siggins component), NPY (Zorrilla/Weiss and Roberto/Siggins components) and neuroactive steroids (animal models core). These analyses will be performed on in vivo brain microdialysis samples, post-mortem brain tissue, and plasma from rats as well as in primate CSF using highly sensitive and selective methods including LC-MS, CE-LIF, HPLC-ED and RIA techniques. The Core will also provide consultation regarding optimum sample collection, handling and storage, and will guide experimental design involving in vivo microdialysis techniques. The chemical compound repository component of the Core will provide the necessary standards for the assays described above as well as for any required internal standards. This component will also coordinate the standardization of sensitivity and reproducibility of standard curves used in these assays. The required CRF, neuropeptide Y, endocannabinoid, amino acid, monoamine, and neurosteroid ligands will also be analyzed for purity as they become available. Ligands which cannot be obtained commercially will be synthesized as necessary.
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