Abstract
The influence of age and adrenalectomy of the animal on the activity of rat heart monoamine oxidase (MAO) was investigated. The model describing changes in tissue contents of an enzyme as a transition from one steady state to another was used to determine whether age and adrenalectomy act on the synthesis or degradation of MAO. Rats were treated with the irreversible MAO inhibitor pargyline to measure the rate of recovery of the enzyme activity following almost total inactivation in order to obtain values for the first order degradation rate constants. The sp. act. of the rat heart MAO increased with age due to a reduction in the degradation rate constant without any effect on the rate of synthesis. Adrenalectomy led to an increase in the sp. act. through an effect on the rate of synthesis unaccompanied by any change in the degradation rate constant. Treatment with pargyline at operation prevented the rise in MAO activity that normally followed adrenalectomy. The possible mechanisms involved and the presence of enzyme-degrading systems are discussed.
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