Monoamine oxidase, reactions involving

Deamination. Amine groups can be removed oxidatively via a deamination reaction, which may be catalyzed by cytochromes P-450. Other enzymes, such as monoamine oxidases, may also be involved in deamination reactions (see below). The product of deamination of a primary amine is the corresponding ketone. For example, amphetamine is metabolized in the rabbit to phenylacetone (Fig. 4.27). The mechanism probably involves oxidation of the carbon atom to yield a carbinolamine, which can rearrange to the ketone with loss of ammonia. Alternatively, the reaction may proceed via phenylacetoneoxime, which has been isolated as a metabolite and for which there are several possible routes of formation. The phenylacetoneoxime is hydrolyzed to phenylacetone. Also N-hydroxylation of amphetamine may take place and give rise to phenylacetone as a metabolite. This illustrates that there may be several routes to a particular metabolite. 

It has been shown that 3 is biotransformed in a reaction catalysed by monoamine oxidase B to species that cause the selective degeneration of nigrostriatal neurons, giving rise to a Parkinsonian syndrome in man and other primates. Studies of this process have shown that the pyridinium salts 4 and 5 are involved, and that 4 undergoes spontaneous disproportionation to 5 and 3 5 is the putative ultimate neurotoxin. More recent studies have shown that 4 undergoes a spontaneous reaction in pH 7.4 buffer to give methylamine and a product identified as 6. 

Studies with various subcellular fractions are useful to ascertain which enzyme systems are involved in the metabolism of a chug candidate. In the absence of added cofactors, oxidative reactions such as oxidative deamination that are supported by mitochondria or by Ever microsomes contaminated with mitochondria membranes (as is the case with microsomes prepared from frozen liver samples) are likely catalyzed by monoamine oxidase (MAO), whereas oxidative reactions supported by cytosol are likely catalyzed by aldehyde oxidase and/or xanthine oxidase (a possible role for these enzymes in the metabolism of... 

Thiram and other dithiocarbamates are metabolic poisons. The acute effects of thiram are very similar to that of carbon disulfide, supporting the notion that the common metabolite of this compound is responsible for its toxic effects. The exact mechanism of toxicity is still unclear, however it has been postulated that the intracellular action of thiram involves metabolites of carbon disulfide, causing microsome injury and cytochrome P450 disruption, leading to increased heme-oxygenase activity. The intracellular mechanism of toxicity of thiram may include inhibition of monoamine oxidase, altered vitamin Bg and tryptophan metabolism, and cellular deprivation of zinc and copper. It induces accumulation of acetaldehyde in the bloodstream following ethanol or paraldehyde treatment. Thiram inhibits the in vitro conversion of dopamine to noradrenalin in cardiac and adrenal medulla cell preparations. It depresses some hepatic microsomal demethylation reactions, microsomal cytochrome P450 content and the synthesis of phospholipids. Thiram has also been shown to have moderate inhibitory action on decarboxylases and, in fish, on muscle acetylcholinesterases. 

The most useful, and thus far successful, examples have involved irreversible reactions of nucleophilic functions of an enzyme s reactive site with an enzymatically activated Kcat inhibitor of a Michael-type addition reaction. The activation invariably requires participation of the enzyme s prosthetic group (e.g., flavin of monoamine oxidase) or coenzymes such as pyridoxal (vitamin B) as its phosphate, which is associated with several enzymes (e.g., threonine dehydrase, ornithine decarboxylase, a-ketoglutarate transaminase). 

Spector and Willoughby - have pointed out that the vascular changes in the acute inflammatory reaction may be due to the destruction of local vasoconstrictor substances such as adrenaline. Evidence in favour of this mechanism includes the observation that increased capillary permeability after thermal injury is suppressed by iproniazid and other monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Such inhibitors are known to inhibit the conversion of adrenaline, noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine and other amines to inactive metabolites. The authors provide evidence that the action of the monoamine oxidase inhibitors on capillary permeability is dependent on their anti-enzymic activity and not on some other unrelated property. Nevertheless, the evidence remains indirect an attempt to detect pressor amines in the plasma of burned animals was unsuccessful. The potentiating effect of bretylium and the antagonistic action of an adrenolytic substance, dibenamine, on the action of iproniazid suggest that it is local depots of adrenaline rather than noradrenaline or 5-hydroxytryptamine which are involved. Independent support for this suggested role of catecholamines... 

Other enzymes involved in phase I reactions are hydrolases (e.g., esterases and amidases) and the nonmicrosomal oxidases (e.g., monoamine oxidase and alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase). 

Substrate specificities can be broad and overlapping both among CYP family members and between CYPs and FMOs, and since metabolic transformations are often sequential (e.g. aliphatic hydroxylation being followed by oxidation by alcohol dehydrogenase, further oxidation to the acid, etc.), many enzymes and many metabolites can be involved in processing a single drug. Only a few of the most important enzymes involved in Phase I transformations have been mentioned here. For these and many others (monoamine oxidase, xanthine oxidase, etc.), further information can be found in the previously cited reviews. Bear in mind too that not all Phase I reactions are oxidative enzymes like carbonyl reductases are important in metabolism as well. 

The reactions were highly regioselective and only minor side products were formed (4-10% yields) under the established conditions. In addition, this reaction could also be carried out on a 500 mg scale under mild conditions. Recently, Kroutil and co-workers developed a novel chemo-en matic derace-mization reaction, which involves two enantioselective oxidation steps and one non-stereoselective reduction step. This concept combines stereoinversion of one substrate enantiomer with a kinetic resolution to transform a racemic substrate to an optically pure product. By using this method, dera-cemization of benzylisoquinolines rac-39 to berbines (S)-41 via the cascade transformation using monoamine oxidase (MAO), BBE, and morpholine-bo-rane concurrently gave optically pure product [S]-41 (>97% ee, HPLC) in up to 88% isolated yield (Scheme 2.14c). 

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