Liver , monoamine oxidase inhibitor interaction

The monoamine oxidase inhibitors epitomize cyclical fashions in drug use and the impact of adverse effects. They were the first psychotropic drugs for which a clear biochemical action was defined. Early excitement was quickly tempered by reports of liver toxicity with the hydrazine derivatives, leading to synthesis of the cyclopropylamine drug, tranylcypromine, which in turn elicited the food and drug interactions that led to an overall decline in popularity. 

Some of the monoamine oxidase inhibitors prolong the hexobarbitone sleeping time in mice, probably because they inhibit barbiturate breakdown by the liver microsomes . An anticonvulsive action has also been reported . The fact that the hydrazine derivatives interact with pyridoxal phosphate and can thus inhibit GABA formation may explain why some of the inhibitors of this type sometimes have a convulsive action also. 

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