Characterization of human serum and umbilical artery semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO). Species heterogeneity and stereoisomeric specificity.

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidases (SSAOs) are located in cardiovascular smooth muscle, cartilage and brown adipose tissues of different species, including human. The enzyme is also present in blood, and its activity appears to be altered under certain pathological conditions. SSAOs from both human umbilical arteries and serum were partially purified, and some of their biochemical properties were investigated. Both human artery and blood SSAO exhibited very similar substrate preference, lack of stereospecificity catalyzing the deamination of pro-R and pro-S benzylamine-deuterated enantiomers, and were very sensitive towards (E)-2-(4-fluorophenethyl)-3-fluoroallylamine (MDL-72974A). It was concluded that circulating serum SSAO is identical to the SSAO from vascular tissues. Human SSAO exhibited distinctly different properties in comparison to bovine and rat SSAOs.