Application of In-tube SPME to Analysis of Stress-related Biomarkers

Abstract

Stress is thought to trigger not only neuropsychiatric disorders but various lifestyle-related diseases, and can affect a person's quality of life and work productivity. Therefore, more and more people are not only avoiding stressful situations but actively pursuing comfort. Therefore, a method to objectively and quantitatively evaluate stress and relaxation at the pre-disease stage is desirable. This chapter outlines stress and relaxation evaluation methods that have been used to date, and introduces simple and sensitive online automated systems for the analysis of stress biomarkers using in-tube solid-phase microextraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. These analysis systems measure the levels of trace chemicals in samples obtained from humans, including endocrine and autonomic nervous system stress-related biomarkers (steroid hormones, catecholamines, and related metabolites) and relaxation-related biomarkers (serotonin and related metabolites, and oxytocin) that are produced at times of stress and relaxation.