Assay method for platelet-activating factor

A method of treating a biological sample in order to measure the quantity of platelet-activating factor (PAF) represented by the following formula:

• 2
• (where R1 is a saturated or unsaturated noncyclic hydrocarbon group or an acyl group derived from a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid, and R3 is phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine, phosphomonomethylethanolamine or phosphodimethylethanolamine), contained in said biological sample, the method comprising the steps of
• a) mixing the biological sample with a water-soluble organic solvent and separating the mixture by centrifugation,
• b) extracting the PAF contained in the supernatant obtained from said centrifugation with a water-insoluble organic solvent, and
• c) introducing the PAF extracted in the water-insoluble organic solvent onto a silica gel solid-phase column either directly or after adjustment to a suitable concentration, and performing washing and elution with a mixture of hexane/2-propanol/water to purify the PAF in biological samples.