The influence of the biologically important aminochromes - dopaminechrome adrenochrome noradrenochrome and DOPAchrome - on the Cu2+/0 catalytic system by fast voltammetry (v >= 200 V s(-1)) using a mercury monolayer carbon fiber electrode was studied It was demonstrated for the first time that following the application of a short (0 1 ms) cathodic accumulation impulse the catalytic analytical signal of the Cu2+/0 -system depends linearly on the aminochrome concentration over the range 1-200 pM It was found that the analytical signal of the studied aminochromes was strongly amplified in the presence of thiols (reduced glutathione and cysteine) and protein (bovine serum albumin) in the analyzed solutions while the ascorbic acid and the reduced form of aminochromes (catecholamines) did not influence this signal (the mechanism of such influence is discussed) The analytical applicability of the elaborated procedure of aminochrome quantification was confirmed by comparing the analytical signal of adrenochrome spiked with the cerebro spinal fluid with the one of adrenochrome spiked with the bovine serum albumin (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved