Abstract
Fluorescence spectra of a blood clot formed at the cut edge of the tail-fin of goldfish were examined, with particular attention to the fluorescence of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). An attempt was made to use HCl and o-phthalaldehyde (OPT), which are known to intensify the fluorescence of 5-HT. Prior to the study on blood clot fluorescence, the fluorescence spectra of 5-HT in solution were examined at various HCl concentrations with or without the addition of OPT.
Maximal fluorescence of the blood clot appeared approx. 10 min after cutting the fin, and an emission maximum with a 470 nm peak was obtained by excitation at 360 nm in 0.1 N HCl and 0.005% OPT. This spectral property was similar to that obtained with 5-HT in solution.
