Differences between amine oxidases deaminating mescaline and the structurally related 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethyl amine

Experiments were carried out with the compound T-134 to discriminate enzymes deaminating the structurally related amines. T-134 acts as a competitive inhibitor on mescaline deamination, while it does not exert any action on the degradation of DM and tyramine. Experiments were made also with “mixed substrates and with octanol and semicarbazide” to confirm our results obtained with T-134. The enzymes degrading the two amines can be separated by the added oxygen consumptions of the mixed substrates by their resistance or sensitivity towards octanol and semi-carbazide, respectively. The assumption—that DM is destroyed by MAO in contrast to mescaline—was supported by measurements on competition between DM and serotonin. It is postulated, that DM decreased the serotonin degradation by rat liver homogenate. The fact that different enzymes are responsible for the deamination of DM and mescaline may explain the pharmacological differences between amines.