Monoamine oxidase
Clinical significance
Adrenaline or noradrenaline to 3,4-Dihydroxymandelic acid Metanephrine or normetanephrine to vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) Dopamine to dihydroxyphenylacetic acid 3-Methoxytyramine to homovanillic acid Because of the vital role that MAOs play in the inactivation of neurotransmitters, MAO dysfunction (too much or too little MAO activity) is thought to be responsible for a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders. For example, unusually high or low levels of MAOs in the body have been associated with schizophrenia, depression, attention deficit disorder, substance abuse, migraines, and irregular sexual maturation.[citation needed] Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are one of the major classes of drug prescribed for the treatment of depression, although they are often last-line treatment due to risk of the drug's interaction with diet or other drugs. Excessive levels of catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) may lead to a hypertensive crisis, and excessive levels of serotonin may lead to serotonin syndrome.
Monoamine oxidase-8