Identification and quantitation of nucleosides, bases and other UV-absorbing compounds in serum, using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. I. Chromatographic methodology.

A comprehensive investigation of the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of nucleosides, their bases and other low-molecular-weight UV-absorbing compounds that might be found in serum is reported. A buffer-methanol gradient was used in conjunction with chemically bonded, microparticulate columns to separate many of the biologically important compounds under study in minimal time with maximal resolution. Retention data, absorbance ratios (280/254 nm) and fluorescence responses are reported for 86 nucleosides, bases, nucleotides and other UV-absorbing compounds commonly encountered in biological studies.