Skip to main content
Log in

The activity of monoamine oxidase -A and -B in brains from chronic alcoholics

  • Published:
Journal of Neural Transmission Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The activity of monoamine oxidase-A was found to be lower in homogenates of hypothalamus and caudate nucleus, but not in cortex of the gyrus cinguli and hippocampus, from chronic alcoholics with respect to homogenates from autopsy cases without histories of alcohol abuse. The activity of monoamine oxidase -B was also lower in the alcoholics, but this could be due to the selective effect of age upon this enzyme form, since the alcoholics were younger than controls. No difference was found for either monoamine oxidase -A or -B activities in brain homogenates from an alcohol preferring (AA) strain of rats, with respect to those from a water preferring (ANA) strain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adolfsson, R., Gottfries, C-G., Roos, B-G., Winblad, B.: Post-mortem distribution of dopamine and homovanillic acid in human brain, variations related to age, and a review of the literature. J. Neural Transm.45, 81–105 (1979).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Adolfsson, R., Gottfries, C-G., Oreland, L., Wiberg, Å., Winblad, B.: Increased activity of brain and platelet monoamine oxidase in dementia of Alzheimer type. Life Sci.27, 1029–1034 (1980).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bergman, H., Borg, S., Hindmarsh, T., Ideström, C-M., Mützell, S.: Computed tomography of the brain and neuropsychological assessment of male alcoholics. In: Addiction and brain damage (Richter, D., ed.), pp. 201–214. London: Croom Helm. 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolter, J. F., Hannon, R.: Cerebral damage associated with alcoholism: A re-examination. The Physiological Record30, 165–179 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchsbaum, M. S., Coursey, R. D., Murphy, D. L.: The biological highrisk paradign: Behavioural and familial correlates of low platelet monoamine oxidase activity. Science194, 339–341 (1976).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buchsbaum, M. S., Haier, R. J., Murphy, D. L.: Suicide attempts, platelet monoamine oxidase and the average evoked response. Acta psychiat. scand.56, 69–79 (1977).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, I. C., Marangos, P. sJ., Murphy, D. L., Plarse, A. G. E.: Neuronspecific enolase (NSE) in human blood platelets: Implications for the neuronal model. In: Recent Advances in Neuropsychopharmacology. Advances in the Biosciences (Angrist, B., Burrows, G. D., Lader, M., Lingjaerde, O., Sedvall, G., Wheatley, D.), Vol. 31, pp. 203–211. Oxford: Pergamon Press. 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson, A., Fowler, C. J., Magnusson, T., Oreland, L., Wiberg, Å.: The activities of monoamine oxidase -A and -B, succinate dehydrogenase and acid phosphate in the rat brain after hemitransektion. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol.316, 51–55 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Donnelly, C. H., Murphy, D. L.: Substrate- and inhibitor-related characteristics of human platelet monoamine oxidase. Biochem. Pharmacol.26, 853–858 (1977).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eckert, B., Gottfries, C.-G., von Knorring, L., Oreland, L., Wiberg, Å., Winblad, B.: Brain and platelet monoamine oxidase in mental disorders 1. Schizophrenics and cycloid psychotics. Progr. Neuropsychopharmacol.4, 57–68 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson, K.: Factors affecting voluntary alcohol consumption in the albino laboratory rat. Ann. Zool. Fennici6, 227–265 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson, K.: Inherited metabolism and behaviour towards alcohol: Critical evaluation of human and animal research. In: Animal Models in Alcohol Research (Eriksson, K., Sinclair, J. D., Kiianmaa, K.), Proc. Int. Conf, Helsinki 1979, pp. 3–20. London: Academic Press. 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, C. J., Oreland, L.: Substrate- and steroselective inhibition of human brain monoamine oxidase by 4-dinethylamino-α, 2-dinethylphenethylamine (FLA 336). J. Pharm. Pharmacol.33, 403–406 (1981).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, C. J., Tipton, K. F.: Deamination of 5-hydroxytryptamine by both forms of monoamine oxidase in the rat brain. J. Neurochem.38, 733–736 (1982).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, C. J., Wiberg, Å., Oreland, L., Marcusson, J., Winblad, B.: The effect of age on the activity and molecular properties of human brain monoamine oxidase. J. Neural Transm.49, 1–20 (1980).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, C. J., Wiberg, Å., Oreland, L., Danielsson, Å., Palm, U., Winblad, B.: Monoamine oxidase activity and kinetic properties in platelet-rich plasma from controls, chronic alcoholics and patients with severe nonalcoholic liver-damage. Biochem. Med.25, 356–365 (1981).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gottfries, C.-G., Oreland, L., Wiberg, Å., Winblad, B.: Lowered monoamine oxidase activity in brains from alcoholic suicides. J. Neurochem.25, 667–673 (1975).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gottfries, C.-G., von Knorring, L., Oreland, L.: Platelet monoamine oxidase activity in mental disorders 2. Affective psychoses and suicidal behavior. Progr. Neuropsychopharmacol.4, 185–192 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudolin, V.: Impairments of the nervous system in alcoholics. In: Addiction and Brain Damage (Richter, ed.), pp.168–200. London: Croom Helm. 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jain, M., Bakutis, E., Gayle, T., Lansky, P.: Some kinetic and inhibition properties of human brain mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.4). Neurobiology4, 180–190 (1974).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, J. P.: Some observations on a new inhibitor of monoamine oxidase in brain tissue. Biochem. Pharmacol.17, 1285–1297 (1968).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kinemuchi, H., Wakui, Y., Toyoshima, Y., Hayashi, N., Kamijo, L.:β-phenethylamine (PEA), a concentration dependent preferential substrate for multiple forms of MAO. In: Monoamine Oxidase: Structure, Function and Altered Functions (Singer, T. P., von Korjf, R. W., Murphy, P. L., eds.), pp. 205–212. New York: Academic Press. 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knoll, J., Magyar, K.: Some puzzling pharmacological effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Adv. Biochem. Psychopharmacol.5, 393–408 (1972).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kurosawa, Y.: Studies on monoamine oxidase (Report XXV). Effects on alcohols on beef liver mitochondrial monoamine oxidase. Jap. Pharmacol.24, 787–795 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancet Editorial: Alcoholic brain damage. Lancet1, 477–478 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lishman, W. A., Ron, M., Acker, W.: Computed tomography of the brain and psychometric assessment of alcoholic patients-a British study. In: Addiction and Brain Damage (Richter, D., ed.), pp. 215–227. London: Croom Helm. 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lusins, J., Zimberg S., Smokler, H., Gurley, K.: Alcoholism and cerebral atrophy: A study of 50 patients with CT scan and psychologic testing. Alcoholism: Clin. Exp. Res.4, 406–411 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackay, A. V. P., Davies, P., Dewar, A. J., Yates, C. M.: Regional distribution of enzymes associated with neurotransmission by monoamines, acetylcholine and GABA in the human brain. J. Neurochem.30, 827–839 (1978).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Major, L. F., Murphy, D. L.: Platelet and plasma monoamine oxidase activity in alcoholic individuals. Br. J. Psychiat.132, 548–554 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  • Oreland, L.: The activity of human brain and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) in relation to various psychiatric disorders. I. MAO activity in some disease states. In: Monoamine Oxidase: Structure, Function and Altered Functions (Singer, T. P., von Korff, R. W., Murphy, D., eds.), pp. 379–387. New York: Academic Press. 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oreland, L., Wiberg, Å., Fowler, C. J.: Monoamine oxidase activity in platelets as related to monoamine oxidase activity and monoaminergic function in the brain. In: Recent Advances in Neuropsychopharmacology. (Advances in the Biosciences, Vol. 31.) (Angrist, B., ed.), pp. 195–201. Oxford: Pergamon Press. 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Puchall, L. B., Cousey, R. D., Buchsbaum, M. S., Murphy, D. L.: Parents of high risk subjects defined by levels of monoamine oxidase activity. Schizophrenia Bull.6, 338–346 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, D. S., Nies, A.: Demographic, biologic and other variables affecting monoamine oxidase activity. Schizophrenia Bull.6, 298–307 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Romanowa, L. A.: Effect of acute and chronic administration of ethanol on monoamine oxidase activity in rat brain and liver tissues. Vopr. Med. Khim.26, 252–255 (1980).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, J. A.: Evidence for a single catalytic binding site on human brain type B monoamine oxidase. J. Neurochem.27, 1107–1112 (1976).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stahl, S. M.: The human platelet. A diagnostic and research tool for the study of biogenic amines in psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Arch. Gen. Psychiat.34, 509–516.

  • Sullivan, J. L., Stanfield, C. N., Maltbie, A. A., Hammett, E., Cavenar J. O.: Stability of blood platelet monoamine oxidase activity in human alcoholics. Biol. Psychiat.13, 391–397 (1978).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, O., Katsumata, Y., Oya, M., Matsumoto, I.: Effect ofβ-phenethylamine concentration on its substrate specificity for type A and B monoamine oxidase. Biochem. Pharmacol.28, 953–956 (1979).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • White, H. L., Glassman, A. T.: Multiple binding of human brain and liver monoamine oxidase: Substrate specificities, selective inhibitors, and attempts to separate enzyme forms. J. Neurochem.29, 987–997 (1977).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wiberg, Å.: Mitochondrial Monoamine Oxidase. Studies on its activity in some psychiatric diseases. In: Umeå University Medical Dissertations, New Series no 41. Umeå 1978.

  • Wiberg, Å., Gottfries, C-G., Oreland, L.: Low platelet monoamine oxidase activity in human alcoholics. Med. Biol.55, 181–186 (1977 a).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wiberg, Å, Wahlström, G., Oreland, L.: Brain monoamine oxidase activity after chronic ethanol treatment of rats. Psychopharmacol.52, 111–113 (1977 b).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, H-Y. T., Neff, N. H.:β-phenethylamine: A specific substrate for type B monoamine oxidase of brain. J. Pharmacol, exp. Therap.187, 365–371 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Oreland, L., Wiberg, Å., Winblad, B. et al. The activity of monoamine oxidase -A and -B in brains from chronic alcoholics. J. Neural Transmission 56, 73–83 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01243375

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01243375

Keywords

Navigation