[Biotransformation of amphetamine derivatives by rat liver mitochondria/2nd communication; Oxidative deamination of amphetamine and reduction of phenylacetone].

Amphetamine is deaminated oxidatively by highly purified rat liver mitochondria. This monoamineoxidase (MAO) is an enzyme of the mitochondrial outer membrane and its activity is about two times higher than that of the microsomal MAO. Anaerobic incubations with mitochondria reduce phenylacetone, an important metabolite of amphetamine, to phenylisopropanol. The ketoreductase is localized in the mitochondrial inner membrane or its matrix.