Some peculiar aspects of monoamine oxidase inhibition.

CN- ions enhance the inhibition of monoamine oxidase by the hydrazine derivatives, phenelzine [2-phenylethylhydrazine] and pheniprazine [(1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)hydrazine]. This involves partial competitive activation of the initial noncovalent enzyme-inhibitor complex with no significant effect on the subsequent reaction to give the irreversibly inhibited species. Whereas the maximum effects on pheniprazine inhibition of rat liver MAO-B occurred at about 5 microM cyanide, concentrations of 5 mM were necessary for maximum stimulation of MAO-A inhibition. A comparison of the behaviour of rat and ox MAO revealed considerable differences in their sensitivities to pheniprazine and the potentiating effects of cyanide. Species differences were also evident in the interactions derivatives of milacemide [2-n-pentylaminoacetamide] as substrates and mechanism-based inhibitors of MAO-B. In one case there was evidence for apparently large difference in inhibitor sensitivities between human brain MAO-B from different individuals.