Assays of cyclic nucleotides

Cyclic nucleotides are recognized as important second messenger molecules, and many assay formats exist for their quantification. This article critically reviews these different approaches. For measurement of cAMP or cGMP in biological fluids or tissue extracts, immunoassay is effective. For other purposes, such as measurement of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity, methods that separate nucleotides from their cyclic counterparts are best, and offer a variety of means of detection.