Benzodiazepines reduce stress-augmented increase in rat urine monoamine oxidase inhibitor
Glover, V.; Bhattacharya, S.K.; Sandler, M.; File, S.E.
Nature 292(5821): 347-349
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-0836 PMID: 6114436 Document Number: 176459
Normal human urine inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO). This inhibitory activity, which is also present in rat urine, cannot be accounted for by a large range of known urinary constituents, including certain monoamines or their metabolites, but is caused by an unidentified low-MW compound. Endogenous MAO inhibitors may be important as physiological regulators; there have been reports of a decrease in platelet MAO activity, conceivably deriving from their presence, in a variety of human disease states. Cold immobilization stress markedly increases the output of rat urine MAO inhibitor and this increase is attenuated by benzodiazepine drugs, [lorazepam, chlordiazepoxide].