A feasibility study of solid supported enhanced microdialysis

For the first time, a solid supported enhanced microdialysis methodology for analysis of neuropeptides is described. The microdialysis samples were, in this study, subsequently collected in fractions, dissolved from the solid particles, dried, and resolved in a formic acid buffer in order to make them suitable for capillary liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Different microdialysis flow profiles were evaluated where air-gapped continuous flow was considered most suitable for the solid supported microdialysis mode. Six endogenous neuropeptides were initially used to investigate the feasibility of this enhanced microdialysis methodology. The improved relative recovery obtained from the solid supported enhanced microdialysis was varying from no effect to 10 times higher as compared to ordinary microdialysis. The most efficient enrichment was obtained for luteinizing hormone releasing hormone, which was the largest but also the most hydrophilic of the peptides. In contrast, no significant difference in recovery was observed for Leu-enkephalin being the smallest and the most hydrophobic peptide tested. These results indicate an increased flux and selective uptake of hydrophilic peptides across the membrane and enrichment on the particles in solid supported microdialysis.