Inhibition of monoamine oxidase by amiloride.

Amiloride was found to lower the overflow of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylene glycol from isolated rat tail artery. The overflow was reduced to about 50% in the presence of 10(-5) M concentration of the drug. Reduced overflows of the glycol were observed also under conditions when the nonexocytotic release of endogenous noradrenaline was enhanced by tyramine, reserpine, or by the elevation of external K+ in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. They were accompanied by increased overflows of the amine. Amiloride inhibited monoamine oxidase activity (E.C. 1.4.3.4) of the A form in rat brain homogenate by acting as a competitive inhibitor.