The activity of monoamine oxidase -A and -B in brains from chronic alcoholics.

The activity of monoamine oxidase--A was found to be lower in homogenates of hypothalamus and caudate nucleus, but not in cortex of the gyrus cinguli and hippocampus, from chronic alcoholics with respect to homogenates from autopsy cases without histories of alcohol abuse. The activity of monoamine oxidase--B was also lower in the alcoholics, but this could be due to the selective effect of age upon this enzyme form, since the alcoholics were younger than controls. No difference was found for either monoamine oxidase -A or -B activities in brain homogenates from an alcohol preferring (AA) strain of rats, with respect to those from a water preferring (ANA) strain.