Lack of change in indoleamine metabolism in spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Indoleamine metabolism was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in the cervical spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and controls with non-neurological diseases. The concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were the highest in the ventral horn compared with other regions of the spinal cord both in ALS and controls. There was no significant change in the concentration of 5-HT in any region of the spinal cord between ALS and controls. In addition, the concentration of 5-HIAA in ALS was lower than that in controls, however, no statistical significance was observed.