A comparison of chemiluminescent and radioenzymatic methods for the measurement of acetylcholine released from a rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation.

A chemiluminescent assay coupled to a periodide extraction method is described for the measurement of acetylcholine release from the vascular perfused rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation. A direct comparison of the chemiluminescent assay with an established radioenzymatic assay for acetylcholine demonstrates that the two assays are quantitatively equivalent and yield similar limits of sensitivity of approximately 2 pmol, and that the periodide extraction/chemiluminescent assay method is more consistent than the tetraphenylboron extraction/radioenzymatic assay method. Additionally, cholinergic drug interference with the chemiluminescent assay is minimal. The absence of radioactivity and the reduced cost of the chemiluminescent assay make it an attractive alternative to the radioenzymatic assay.