Imidazoleacetic oxidase

Metabolism. MetaboHsm of histamine occurs via two principal enzymatic pathways (Fig. 1). Most (50 to 70%) histamine is metabolized to /V-methylhistamine by A/-methyltransferase, and some is metabolized further by monoamine oxidase to /V-methy1imidazo1eacetic acid and excreted in the urine. The remaining 30 to 40% of histamine is metabolized to imidazoleacetic acid by diamine oxidase, also called histaminase. Only 2 to 3% of histamine is excreted unchanged in the urine. 

An alternative pathway of histamine metabolism involves oxidative deamination by the enzyme diamine oxidase (histaminase) to form 5-imidazoleacetic acid. Diamine oxidase is present in both tissues and blood and plays a particular role in metabolizing the large concentrations of histamine that may be present in food. An additional metabolite, A-acetyl histamine (a conjugate of acetic acid and histamine), can be produced if histamine is ingested orally. This product may result from metabolism of histamine by gastrointestinal tract bacteria. Because of its rapid breakdown after oral administration, histamine produces few systemic effects when given by this route. 

A minor route for histamine catabolism involves histamine conversion to imidazoleacetic acid [via diamine oxidase (histaminase)]. In the major route histamine is converted to methylhistamine [via histamine jV-methyl transferase] which is then converted to methylimi-dazoleacetic acid [via MAO]. A large number of MAO inhibitors have been isolated from plants (Table 6.5). 

Histamine is formed from the amino acid histidine and is stored in high concentrations in vesicles in mast cells. Histamine is metabolized by the enzymes monoamine oxidase and diamine oxidase. Excess production of histamine in the body (by. for example, systemic mastocytosis) can be detected by measurement of imidazoleacetic acid (its major metabolite) in tbe urine. Because it is released from mast cells in response to IgE-mediated (immediate) allergic reactions, this autacoid plays an important pathophysiologic role in seasonal rhinitis (hay fever), urticaria, and angioneurotic e ma. Histamine also plays an important physiologic role in the control of acid secretion in the stomach and as a neurotransmitter. 

The enzymic oxidation of imidazoleacetic acid to form imino-aspartic acid is one of the reactions which occurs during the metabolism of histidine (a subject recently reviewed by Tabor (730)). The portion of the metabolic sequence requiring imidazoleacetic acid oxidase is shown in Figure 24, in which work with several organisms is summarized (compare 328,331,389,730). 

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