Due to complex influence, such as utilization and permeability of arterial vessels to oxygen, there is a considerable difference of oxygen tension between extracellular fluid and perfusate usually used in microdialysis (30-60Torr versus 145Torr). Dialysate dopamine and monoamine metabolites-3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were measured under different kinds of oxygen tension solutions (145, 72, 48Torr). In the acute and anesthetized group, dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid increased 72, 93, 86 and 65%, respectively when changing the perfusate from 145Torr to near physiological 48Torr, while in chronic and conscious group, carried out 72h after surgery, these compounds showed obscure increases (only homovanillic acid produced a significant change of 14%).The different effect of perfusate oxygen tension on dialysate levels of monoamines in anesthetized and conscious rats might be caused by oxidative stress triggered by hyperoxia combined with anesthesia and surgical trauma.