Biochemical properties of N-Benzyl-N′- isopropylhydrazine

Abstract

N-Benzyl-N′- isopropylhydrazine (BIH), taken as an example of several N:N'-disubstituted hydrazines, was inactive as an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in vitro; however, it was converted by the body into a potent inhibitor of this enzyme system. The potency of the disubstituted hydrazine in vivo was estimated by determining its ability to potentiate tryptamine-induced convulsions in mice and by measuring the enzymic activity of livers and brains of the treated mice. These tests demonstrated BIH to be from three to twenty times as potent as iproniazid and, in contrast to iproniazid, to be more effective against brain than against liver MAO. The chemical nature of the active inhibitor derived from the inactive compound is unknown.