Characteristics of monoamine oxidase activity in brain and other organs of the adult bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

1. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was measured in brain, liver, kidney and intestine of the adult bullfrog by a fluorometric method. 2. All tissues contained both type A and type B MAO, on the basis of responses to specific inhibitors, but with different ratios in each tissue. 3. MAO activity was optimum at 30 degrees C. However, MAO type B showed greater activity changes related to incubation temperature than did type A. 4. The Michaelis constant (Km) of MAO also varied with temperature, with a nadir around 20 degrees C. The functional significance of this is not clear. 5. Arrhenius plots showed that the activation energy for MAO B was higher than for MAO A.     

Biochemistry and physiology of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in the ring dove (Streptopelia risoria). II. Distribution of MAO in different tissues

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was measured fluorometrically in liver, kidney, intestine and brain of adult male and female ring doves. Liver MAO was inhibited in a concentration-related fashion by clorgyline and harmaline (MAO type A inhibitors) where a plateau in the inhibition curve occurred with about 15% activity remaining, and also by the type B inhibitor deprenyl, which produced a plateau when about 85% activity remained. Kidney, intestine and brain MAO were inhibited in a biphasic manner by harmaline. Results with inhibitors suggest that 85% of liver MAO, 86% of kidney MAO, 88% of intestine and 75% of brain MAO is type A. Using 10(-6) M harmaline to differentiate between MAO-A and MAO-B type activities, the apparent maximal velocities (Vmax) and Michaelis constants (Km) were determined in different tissues. Most activity occurred in the intestine, with proportionally lesser amounts of kidney, liver and brain. The majority of MAO present was in the A form. Except for kidney, Km of MAO-B was higher than that of MAO-A. Both MAO-A and -B activities were higher in the intestines of male birds, although sex differences in content and type of MAO activity were not observed in other tissues of the ring dove.     

Antagonism between long acting Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI) and MD780515, a new specific and reversible MAOI

The inhibition of type A and B monoamine oxidase (MAO A and B) in rat brain, liver and heart by MD780515, 3-[4-(3 cyanophenylmethoxy) phenyl]-5-(methoxymethyl)-2-oxazolidinone, has been investigated ex vivo with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and β-phenylethylamine (PEA) as substrates. MAO A was strongly inhibited for four hours after oral administration of 10 mg/kg MD780515 (maximum inhibition : 72%, 86% and 83% in brain, liver and heart respectively. In contrast, in heart where PEA is deaminated by type A MAO, the predominant form of MAO in that tissue, the inhibition was 68% 30 minutes after administration of the compound. In all cases, MAO activities reached control values 24 hours after drug administration (10 mg/kg), whereas some inhibitory activity was still present 24 hours after oral administration of higher doses. The strong MAO A inhibition (68 to 83%) remaining in the three tissues 24 hours after oral administration of clorgyline (5 mg/kg) was completely removed by pretreatment with MD780515 (10 mg/kg). In the same conditions, MD780515 protected against the inhibition (53%) by clorgyline of PEA deamination in heart. Oral pretreatment with increasing doses of MD780515 (2.6 to 84 mg/kg) gradually removed brain MAO A inhibition caused by clorgyline (92%, 28.2 mg/kg) or tranylcypromine (88%, 4.8 mg/kg), the complete removal being observed at the dose of 21 mg/kg of MD780515 for clorgyline, and at 42 mg/kg for tranylcypromine. Inhibition of brain MAO B by tranylcypromine (96%) was not modified by pretreatment with the same range of oral doses of MD780515. The results are consistent with a specific and reversible inhibition of MAO A activity by MD780515 which can protect against long acting MAO A inhibitory effects of clorgyline and tranylcypromine. MD780515 enhances the selectivity of tranylcypromine.     

Monoamine oxidase activity in several tissues of the goldfish. Carassius auratus

1. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) was determined fluorometrically in male goldfish tissues, and the effects of specific inhibitors determined. 2. MAO activity in kidney greater than intestine greater than pancreas greater than brain approximately liver greater than testis. Apparent Michaelis constant (Km) was higher in the first three and lower in the last three tissues. 3. Specific MAO type A inhibitors (harmaline, clorgyline) were much more effective than a type B inhibitor (deprenyl) in reducing MAO activity. 4. Apparently goldfish tissues contain only a single type A-like MAO.     

The characteristics and distribution of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in different tissues of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was determined fluorometrically in brain, intestine, kidney and liver tissues of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. MAO activity was inhibited by various drugs in a concentration-related manner, with single sigmoid inhibition curves, the inhibitors of type A MAO, harmaline and clorgyline being more effective than deprenyl, an inhibitor of type B MAO. Intestine exhibited greatest MAO activity followed by liver and brain with kidney showing least activity. The Michaelis constants (Km) also showed variability between tissues. Inhibition of MAO by harmaline was non-competitive and dependent on the concentration of substrate present.     

Immunocytochemical localization of monoamine oxidases A and B in human peripheral tissues and brain

Monoamine oxidases (MAO; EC 1.4.3.4.) A and B occur in the outer mitochondrial membrane and oxidize a number of important biogenic and xenobiotic amines. Monoclonal antibodies specific for human MAO A or B and immunocytochemical techniques were used to visualize the respective enzymes in human placenta, platelets, lymphocytes, liver, brain, and a human hepatoma cell line. MAO A was observed in the syncytiotrophoblast layer of term placenta, liver, and a subset of neurons in brain, but was not observed in platelets or lymphocytes, which are known to lack type A enzyme. MAO B was observed in platelets, lymphocytes, and liver, but not in placenta, which contains little or no MAO B. MAO B was also observed in a subset of neurons in the brain that was distinct from that which contained MAO A. MAO A and MAO B were also observed in some glia. Unlike most tissues examined, liver cells appeared to contain both forms of the enzyme. These studies show that MAO A and MAO B can be specifically visualized by immunocytochemical means in a variety of human cells and tissues and can provide a graphic demonstration of the high degree of cell specificity of expression of the two forms of the enzyme.     

Inhibition of monoamine oxidase by 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl L-alanine and its analogues

L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) was found to inhibit type A monoamine oxidase in human placental mitochondria. The inhibition proved to be noncompetitive with the substrate, kynuramine, and the inhibition was completely reversible. D-DOPA was found to inhibit monoamine oxidase in the same way, and the apparent Ki values of L- and D-DOPA were obtained to be 154 microM and 133 microM, respectively. L-alpha-Methyl-DOPA was found to inhibit the MAO activity competitively with the substrate, but studies with other analogues of DOPA revealed that the inhibition required an amino and a carboxyl group at alpha-position. The substitution of a hydroxy group at 3 or 4 position of catechol ring with a methoxy group was found to abolish the inhibition of the MAO activity. In addition to type A MAO in human liver and placental mitochondria, type B MAO in liver mitochondria was inhibited by L-DOPA, but type B MAO was less sensitive to L-DOPA. These results were discussed in terms of its possible regulation of the level of biogenic amines in the brain.     

Metabolism of octopamine in vitro by monoamine oxidase in some rat tissues.

The deamination $\text{in vitro}$ of DL-octopamine by MAO in rat brain, heart, kidney, liver and vas deferens has been studied by a radiochemical method. Kinetic constants for octopamine metabolism, as well as its sensitivity to inhibition by the irreversible MAO inhibitor clorgyline are described for each tissue. On the basis of the inhibition data, it was concluded that octopamine is metabolized preferentially by type A MAO in heart, kidney and vas deferens. However, in brain and liver, type B MAO is also responsible for a significant proportion of total octopamine metabolism. These studies are discussed in relation to current ideas about the regulation of octopamine concentrations in animal tissues, and the possible importance of this amine in mammalian physiology.     

Differential Expression of Type A and Type B Monoamine Oxidase of Mouse Astrocytes in Primary Cultures

Abstract: Type A and type B monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities were determined in mouse brain and in primary cultures of mouse astrocytes. Thirty-one-day-old astrocyte cultures exhibited predominantly type A MAO activity. In cultures of the same age, treated with 0.25 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP under the same culturing conditions, 30% type B MAO was expressed, although dibutyryl cyclic AMP up to 1 mM does not affect MAO activity in vitro. The specific activity of type B MAO increased significantly in older cultures, while type A MAO changed only slightly.     

Substrate Selectivity of Type A and Type B Monoamine Oxidase in Rat Brain

Abstract: Use of the irreversible inhibitors clorgyline and deprenyl showed that rat brain mitochondria contain type A and type B monoamine oxidase (MAO). Tyramine is a substrate for both types of MAO, whereas serotonin is a preferential substrate for type A MAO. In contrast to MAO in other tissues, type A MAO in brain tissue oxidizes β-phenylethylamine (PEA) at high concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mM). The proportions of type A and type B MAO activities in the mitochondria estimated from the double-sigmoidal inhibition curves of tyramine oxidation were about 70:30 irrespective of the concentration of tyramine. With PEA as substrate, the ratios of type A to type B activities were found to increase from low values at low concentrations to about 1 at 0.5-1.0 mM-PEA, and even higher at further increased concentrations of PEA. At very low (0.01 mM) and high (10.0 mM) concentrations of PEA, single-sigmoidal curves were obtained; with the high PEA concentration the activity was highly sensitive to clorgyline, whereas with the low concentration it was highly sensitive to deprenyl. In deprenyl-pretreated mitochondrial preparations, all the remaining activity towards 0.5-1.0 mM-PEA was shown to be highly sensitive to clorgyline, demonstrating that this activity was indeed due to oxidation by type A MAO. The opposite result was obtained with deprenyl as inhibitor of clorgyline-pretreated preparations, demonstrating that PEA at this concentration was also oxidized by type B MAO in rat brain mitochondria. The K₃ values of type A and type B MAO for PEA were significantly different. On Lineweaver-Burk analysis, plots with PEA as substrate for type A MAO in a deprenyl-treated preparation were linear over a wide concentration range, whereas those for type B MAO in a clorgyline-treated preparation were not linear, but showed substrate inhibition at higher concentrations of the substrate. It is concluded from the present findings that the effect of the substrate concentration must be considered in studies on the characteristics of multiple forms of MAO in various organs and species.     

Striatal dopamine metabolism in monoamine oxidase B-deficient mice: a brain dialysis study

We have studied striatal dopamine (DA) metabolism in monoamine oxidase (MAO) B-deficient mice using brain microdialysis. Baseline DA levels were similar in wild-type and knock-out (KO) mice. Administration of a selective MAO A inhibitor, clorgyline (2 mg/kg), increased DA levels and decreased levels of its metabolites in all mice, but a selective MAO B inhibitor, l-deprenyl (1 mg/ kg), had no effect. Administration of 10 and 50 mg/kg L-DOPA, the precursor of DA, increased the levels of DA similarly in wild-type and KO mice. The highest dose of L-DOPA (100 mg/kg) produced a larger increase in DA in KO than wild-type mice. This difference was abolished by pretreating wild-type mice with l-deprenyl. These results suggest that in mice, DA is only metabolized by MAO A under basal conditions and by both MAO A and B at high concentrations. This is in contrast to the rat, where DA is always metabolized by MAO A regardless of concentration.     

Distribution of monoamine oxidase activity in tissues of the urodeles Ambystoma tigrinum (tiger salamander) and Necturus maculosus (mudpuppy)

1. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was determined fluorometrically in tissues of adult mudpuppies, and pre- (young) and post- (adult) metamorphic tiger salamanders. 2. From responses to specific inhibitors it was determined that 95% activity was MAO type A in all tissues. 3. In young salamanders MAO activity was greater in brain and intestine of males than of females, and was considerably higher in kidney of both sexes and in intestine of males compared to adults. 4. MAO activity was distributed differently in the mudpuppy compared to the salamander. Intestine and liver contained high activity and brain had relatively little MAO activity compared to salamander. 5. The apparent Michaelis constant of MAO activity in the different groups and tissues was generally similar, suggesting a similarity of the MAO molecule.     

THE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC REGIMENS OF CLORGYLINE AND PARGYLINE ON MONOAMINE METABOLISM IN THE RAT BRAIN

The effects of chronic administration of clorgyline and pargyline on rat brain monoamine metabolism have been examined. The inhibitory selectivity of these drugs towards serotonin deamina-tion (MAO type A) and phenylethylamine deamination (MAO type B) can be maintained over a 21-day period by proper selection of low doses of these drugs (0.5-1.0 mg/kg/24h). The results are consistent with MAO type A catalyzing the deamination of serotonin and norepinephrine and with MAO type B having little effect on these monoamines. Dopamine appears to be dcaminated in vivo principally by MAO type A. Clorgyline administration during a 3-week period was accompanied by persistent elevations in brain norepinephrine concentrations; serotonin levels were also increased during the first 2 weeks, but returned towards control levels by the third week of treatment. Low doses of pargyline did not increase brain monoamine concentrations, but treatment with higher doses for 3 weeks led to elevations in brain norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine; at this time significant MAO-A inhibition had developed. The changes in monoamine metabolism seen at the end of the chronic clorgyline regimen are not due to alterations in tryptophan hydroxylase activity. At this time tyrosine hydroxylase activity was also unaffected.     

Evidence that gingko biloba extract does not inhibit MAO A and B in living human brain

Extracts of Ginkgo biloba have been reported to reversibly inhibit both monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B in rat brain in vitro leading to speculation that MAO inhibition may contribute to some of its central nervous system effects. Here we have used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure the effects of Ginkgo biloba on human brain MAO A and B in 10 subjects treated for 1 month with 120 mg/day of the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761, using [11C]clorgyline and [11C]L-deprenyl-D2 to measure MAO A and B respectively. A three-compartment model was used to calculate the plasma to brain transfer constant K1 which is related to blood flow, and lambdak3, a model term which is a function of the concentration of catalytically active MAO molecules. Ginkgo biloba administration did not produce significant changes in brain MAO A or MAO B suggesting that mechanisms other than MAO inhibition need to be considered as mediating some of its CNS effects.     

Some characteristics of monoamine oxidase activity in tissues of the adult female grassfrog (Rana pipiens)

1. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was measured fluorometrically in tissues of the grass-frog, Rana pipiens. 2. Incubation with specific inhibitors revealed the presence of two forms of MAO, type A and type B, in all tissues examined, though the ratios were different in each tissue. 3. Liver contained the greatest, and oviduct and skeletal muscle the lowest amounts of MAO activity, and brain also contained relatively high MAO levels. 4. The apparent Michaelis constant (Km) was similar in most tissues but was higher in pancreas, muscle and oviduct. Values of Km were lower than those reported for mammalian tissues.     

Type B monoamine oxidase activity in human brain malignant tumors

An increase of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was observed in Central Nervous System (CNS) malignant tumors, but the isoform responsible was not identify (Marcozzi et al., 1985). In the present work we report additional data in order to ascertain whether the type A or B MAO isoform is increased in some malignant human tumors of CNS. In the homogenated tissues the amine oxidase activity was determined by the chemiluminescent method, using different and specific substrates or inhibitors of MAO A and B and copper-dependent enzymes. 19 samples from 4 different types of tumors and relative peritumoral tissues were analysed. The highest activity of was imputable to type B MAO.     

Multiple forms of monoamine oxidase in rabbit platelets.

Rabbit platelets were found to contain both types A and B MAO activities. The specific enzymatic activity of rabbit platelet MAO was higher for the substrate serotonin than for phenylethylamine. The K_m's for rabbit platelet MAO indicated that the MAO-B enzyme was similar to human platelet MAO and that both MAO-A and MAO-B enzymes in the rabbit platelet are similar to the corresponding forms in the rabbit brain. The drugs clorgyline and deprenyl confirmed the existence of types A and B MAO in the platelet and furthermore indicated that the type A form accounted for approximately 90% of the total enzymatic activity. Amitriptyline at low (micromolar) concentrations selectively inhibited MAO-B activity in both rabbit platelets and brain.     

Oxidation of β-Phenylethylamine by Both Types of Monoamine Oxidase: Examination of Enzymes in Brain and Liver Mitochondria of Eight Species

Abstract: β-Phenylethylamine (PEA) was characterized as a substrate for type A and type B monoamine oxidase (MAO) in brain and liver mitochondria of eight species at different substrate concentrations. In all species, at 10.0 μM, PEA was almost specific for type B MAO. At 1000 μM, however, the amine was common for both types of MAO in rat brain and liver, human brain and liver, mouse brain, guinea pig brain and liver, and bovine brain, while it was specific for type B MAO in mouse liver, rabbit brain and liver, bovine liver, pig brain and liver, and chicken brain and liver. From the present study, when PEA is used as a type B substrate, it is recommended that the substrate concentration should be sufficiently low to avoid the effects of species and tissue differences.     

Studies on the pargyline-binding site of different types of monoamine oxidase

[3H]Pargyline has been covalently linked to active sites of both type A and type B monoamine oxidase (MAO) obtained from various tissues. Rat heart and human placenta were chosen to represent predominantly type A MAO, pig and bovine livers to represent type B MAO, and rat liver and brain to represent mixed type A and type B MAO's. The [3H]pargyline-MAO adducts were isolated and hydrolyzed by proteolytic enzymes, and the labelled peptides (pargyline-binding sites) separated and compared by paper chromatography and by paper electrophoresis at various pH values. Only one common pargyline peptide was obtained from all the different MAO's. The alternative A and B sites were assessed after preincubation of rat liver MAO with the selective inhibitors deprenyl (to block the B site) and clorgyline (to block the A site). Following proteolysis of the [3H]pargyline of both type A and type B MAO from this pretreated rat liver, MAO has been purified by a series of chromatographic and electrophoretic procedures. Micro-Edman degradation, followed by dansylation, revealed the amino acid sequence to be Ser-Gly-Gly-Cys(X)-Tyr. It is concluded that the primary structures immediately surrounding the pargyline-binding sites are identical for both type A and type B MAO in these tissues.     

Monoamine Oxidases A and B as Components of a Membrane Complex

Abstract: The activities of monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) represent two independent types of substrate binding site, as indicated by experiments with selective inhibitors and also by substrate competition. We have tried to determine whether A and B active sites of human brain and liver MAO are located on physically separable enzyme forms or as subunits in large membrane-bound complexes. MAO was extracted from several sources by a procedure that was designed to give solubilized enzyme in high-speed supernatants, with ratios of MAO A/MAO B activities similar to those in initial crude homogenates. This solubilized enzyme gave gel filtration profiles that suggested the presence of large molecular complexes. Affinity binding experiments indicated that both MAO A and B activities may occur on the same complexes in tissues that initially contain both activities. These complexes were broken down to enzymatically active subunits by treatment with either low concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate, with phospholipase A₂, or with a combination of both agents. Results of this study support a concept of MAO as part of a membrane unit in which A and B are two distinct enzymes embedded in a phospholipid structure. The enzymatic activity of MAO A is critically dependent on associated phospholipids, whereas that of MAO B is not.