p-Chloroamphetamine (PCA) causes a rapid and long-lasting depletion of serotonin in rat brain [l]. PCA is thought to affect serotonin neurons acutely by (a) inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylation, (b) release of vesicular bound serotonin, (c) inhibition of serotonin reuptake from the synaptic cleft, and (d) inhibition of serotonin oxidation by monoamine oxidase, and to produce neurotoxic degene...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Homovanillamine is a biogenic amine that it is catalyzed to homovanillyl aldehyde by monoamine oxidase A and B, but the oxidation of its aldehyde to the acid derivative is usually ascribed to aldehyde dehydrogenase and a potential contribution of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase is usually ignored. METHODS The present investigation examines the metabolism of homovanillami...