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Metabolic Origin of Urinary Methylamine in the Rat

Abstract

IT has been shown1 that certain monoamine oxidase inhibitors containing the hydrazine moiety (pheniprazine and iproniazid) besides increasing the level of urinary tryptamine2 and β-phenylethylamine3 produce a rise of as much as 300 per cent in the amount of urinary methylamine excreted by rats. To demonstrate the origin of this additional methylamine, rats were injected with compounds which, on the basis of their structure, appeared to be possible precursors of this substance. The compounds studied were glycine, sarcosine, dimethylglycine, betaine, creatine and DL-methionine. 100 mgm. of the compound to be tested was made up in isotonic solution to neutral pH and injected into the rat intraperitoneally.

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References

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DAVIS, E., DE ROPP, R. Metabolic Origin of Urinary Methylamine in the Rat. Nature 190, 636–637 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/190636a0

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