A remarkably sensitive, simple and selective reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed, allowing, for the first time, the direct measurement of histamine, norepinephrine, octopamine, normetanephrine, dopamine, serotonin and tyramine in a single sample of plasma (2 ml), tissue (0.2 g), or urine. The biogenic amines were modified by pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde which stabilizes the molecules, aids in extraction, and improves HPLC detection at the nanogram level. To minimize losses during the sampling procedure a careful collection procedure was designed. We developed a simple sample cleanup in which the samples were thawed, neutralized with KOH, immediately derivatized, extracted into ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and then chromatographed by HPLC. The derivatives were stable in EtOAc for more then 24 h. Interfering amino acids were removed from the EtOAc by partitioning twice with Na2HPO4 buffer (pH 10.0). Complete separation was achieved in ca. 60--90 min on a muBondapak phenyl column using a stepwise gradient of acetonitrile and/or methanol-phosphate buffer (pH 5.1). A variable wavelength fluorometer with a 5-microliter flow-cell was used (excitation 340 nm; emission 480 nm). Linearity ranged from 200 pg to 50 ng onto the column. Precision (R.S.D.) for retention times was 1% and for derivatization and injection 2.5%. Recoveries of the seven biogenic amines from plasma spiked with 25 ng/ml averaged 70%, with a relative standard deviation of 6%. Separation studies were also done using a muBondapak C18 column. The effects of various eluents are presented. Gas-liquid chromatography was also investigated but lacked the sensitivity achieved by HPLC. The HPLC method is used routinely for the determination of biogenic amines in plasma from pigs with malignant hyperthemia and thermally stressed bovine. Significant differences in levels of biogenic amines were noted between stressed and non-stressed animals. Data on rat brain tissue samples were compared with the trihydroxyindole method and canine heart tissue was analyzed for ventricular norepinephrine and dopamine. Application of the method to urine from normal persons and a patient with a brain tumor has been demonstrated.