Tags: Chemical Compound, Chemical Substance.
Homovanillic acid (HOC6H3(OCH3)CH2COOH; synonyms: 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid; HVA; 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzeneacetic acid; 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid) is a major catecholamine metabolite. It is used as a reagent to detect oxidative enzymes and is associated with dopamine levels in the brain. In psychiatry and neuroscience brain and cerebrospinal fluid levels of HVA are measured as a marker of metabolic stress caused by 2-deoxy-D-glucose.
