Ion-exchange chromatographic separation and fluorometric detection of guanidino compounds in physiologic fluids.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure has been developed for the separation and fluorometric detection of guanidino compounds in physiologic fluids. All guanidino compounds were separated on a 17 X 0.46 cm cation-exchange column using a stepwise pH gradient. The chromatographic system was designed to enable the use of the specific reagent 9,10-phenanthrenequinone as a means of monitoring the guanidino compounds of physiologic fluids. This new analytical method is so sensitive that it enables the analysis at the picomole level. Our automatic guanidino-compound analyzer was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of all guanidino compounds in physiologic fluids from normal controls and uremic patients.