Adrenergic nerves catecholamine content

MAO within adrenergic nerves is apparently involved in the control of the steady-state concentration of NA, both in the CNS and in sympathetic nerves. Inhibition of MAO may increase the NA content of tissues to several times that found under normal conditions. Intraneuronal MAO is also responsible for the degradation of catecholamines released from storage vesicles by reserpine, as described in Paragraph 5.2.4. There is some evidence that catechol deaminated metabolites, such as 3,4-dihydroxy mandelic acid, are formed primarily by the action of MAO within adrenergic nerves. On the other hand, extraneuronal MAO oxidatively deaminates only compounds which have previously been O-methylated. 

---