Allopregnanolone aids neurogenesis and has been found to reverse neuron proliferative deficit and cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.  Allopregnanolone has also been shown to restore functionality in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease and to improve behavioral problems in post-traumatic stress disorder.

The DetectX^® Allopregnanolone Immunoassay kit is designed to quantitatively measure allopregnanolone present in extracted serum, plasma, dried fecal samples, or diluted urine and tissue culture media samples.  Please read the complete kit insert before performing this assay.  An allopregnanolone standard is provided to generate a standard curve for the assay and all samples should be read off the standard curve.  Standards or diluted samples are pipetted into a clear micrometer plate coated with an antibody to capture mouse antibodies.  An allopregnanolone-peroxidase conjugate is added to the standards and samples in the wells.  The binding reaction is initiated by the addition of a monoclonal antibody to allopregnanolone to each well.

The kit has two format options: a primary incubation of two hours at room temperature with shaking, or overnight at 4°C.  At the end of the incubation period the plate is washed and substrate is added.  The substrate reacts with the bound allopregnanolone-peroxidase conjugate. After a short incubation, the reaction is stopped and the intensity of the generated color is detected in a microtiter plate reader capable of measuring 450 nm wavelength.  The concentration of the allopregnanolone in the sample is calculated, after making suitable correction for the dilution of the sample, using software available with most plate readers.