Ontogenetic development of the monoamine oxidase activity and of the metabolism of biogenic monoamines in rat brain.

The article examines the ontogenetic development of the monoamine oxidase activity and of the metabolism of the dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin in the brain of newborn, 10-day-, 20-day- and 2-month-old rats. Monoamine oxidase activity is determined using three substrates: tyramine, serotonin and beta-phenylethylamine. Monoamine oxidase A (substrate serotonin) and the total monoamine oxidase activity (substrate tyramine) are found to manifest identical development, their activity increasing quickly after birth, to reach constant values after the 10th day. The general course of the development during the first ten postnatal days shows that the post partum increase in the total monoamine oxidase activity in rat brain is predominantly due to monoamine oxidase A. Monoamine oxidase B (substrate beta-phenylethylamine) develops after the 10th postnatal day. Evidently monoamine oxidase A plays a decisive role for controlling the level of the biogenic monoamines in the young organism during the first days of the ontogenesis. Investigation of the changes in the content of dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin in the age groups of the experimental animals chosen reveals a rapid increase in the dopamine and noradrenaline levels even during the first ten days of the ontogenesis. The increased total monoamine oxidase activity and the increased dopamine content correspond to its increased turnover rate during ontogenesis. The turnover rate of noradrenaline remains unchanged between the 10th and 20th postnatal days. The increasing serotonin level between the 20th and 60th post partum days corresponds to its increased turnover rate.