Pronexus Analytical is a preclinical contract research organisation (CRO) offering advanced services in pharmacology of the central nervous system (CNS), neurochemistry and neurophysiology. Pronexus’ core expertise is focused on in vivo techniques for monitoring neurotransmitter release and metabolism, animal models of CNS disorders, PK/PD studies and testing the implantable medical devices and drug delivery systems.
Collectively, we have more than 75 years of research experience in CNS pharmacology, proof-of-concept studies and evaluation of mechanisms of drug actions using microdialysis and related bioanalytical techniques, biosensors and electrophysiological recordings.
Bioanalytical services
The bioanalytical services include high-sensitive HPLC techniques and immunoassays for determination of neurotransmitters and other neuroactive molecules, as well as metabolites and drug levels in the microdialysis samples, plasma, CSF, cell lysates and brain tissue extracts. The bioanalytical laboratory and the animal research facility are GLP-compliant with full regulatory approvals. All services provided by Pronexus Analytical are carried out under strictly professional non-disclosure agreements.
Experimental models of CNS disorders
- Microsurgery, stereotaxic surgery on small laboratory animals – implantation of injection/infusion cannulas including microdialysis probes, catheters and CSF/blood sampling
- Pharmacokinetics and monitoring drug delivery at the target site – acute or chronic administration regimens, drug delivery through BBB, targeted bioavailability, syringe minipumps based continuous/discontinuous drug infusions for up to four weeks and Alzet osmotic minipumps
- Microdialysis protocols on anesthetised or awake rats and mice – "proof-of-concept" studies of candidate drugs (CDs), monitoring neurotransmitters and other surrogate markers and correlation to behaviour
- Simultaneous microdialysis and behavioral monitoring, phenotyping – behavioral models of CNS disorders: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, ADHD, Parkinson’s disease and cognitive dysfunction
- Lesion models of neurodegenerative disorders – 6-OHDA, MPTP-lesion models of Parkinson’s disease, 192IgG-saporin lesions of cholinergic neurons, ibotenic acid lesions and similar models
- Biosensors – fast monitoring of glutamate release – recordings of tonic and phasic L-glutamate levels in anesthetised or awake rats, focus on Glu transporters; NMDA, mGluR2/3 and mGluR5 receptors
- Electrophysiological recordings in brain slices – role of ionotropic (NMDA, AMPA, kainite) and metabotropic receptors on modulating EPSPs
- Phenotyping of transgenic mice – physiological tests, behavioral methods and biochemical/neurochemical markers
Bioanalytical services and determination of surrogate markers
Pronexus Analytical provides determination of biomolecules in microdialysis samples, tissue extracts, plasma, CSF, urine and other body fluids:
- Ultra-sensitive detection of monoamines – the most sensitive assay available and developed especially for simultaneous determination of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin down to 10-11M [100atmol/20µl] and for histamine [300atmol/20µl]
- HPLC techniques optimised for determination of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and related molecules in the microdialysates. Serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine and their metabolites, acetylcholine, GABA, aspartate and glutamate, glycine, physiological amino acids, histamine, adenosine and other purines, cAMP, cGMP, kynurenic acid, radical oxygen species (ROS), NO2–/NO3–, Mg2+, Ca2+ and other ions
- HPLC and LC/MS methods for analysis of biological samples – determination of specified biomolecules or drugs in plasma, CSF and tissue extracts.
- HPLC and enzymatic spectrophotometric assays for clinical microdialysates – amino acid analysis, lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, glucose, enzymes and clinical biomarkers
- Enzyme immunoassays
- Development and validation of HPLC methods
