[Spectrophotometric method of determining monoamine oxidase activity in human thrombocytes]. / Spektrofotometricheskii metod opredeleniia aktivnosti monoaminoksidazy v trombotsitakh cheloveka.

A method for estimation of monoamine oxidase activity in human thrombocytes is developed. The method is based on coupling of monoamine oxidase and alcohol dehydrogenase reactions. The method was highly reproducible. Small volumes of blood were required for analysis. Values of MAO activity, obtained by the method, were in good agrement with the data published in literature.

[Decrease in the thrombocyte monoamine oxidase activity of schizophrenic patients]. / Snizhenie aktivnosti monoaminoksidazy trombotsitov bol'nykh shizofreniei.

The authors measured the monoaminoxidase activity in thrombocytes of 28 schizophrenic patients and in 36 normal donors. The monoamine oxidase activity in schizophrenic patients was decreased by 14% and in the subgroup of patients with continuous schizophrenia by 19.5% as compared to that of normals. The monoamine oxidase activity in schizophrenic female patients did not significantly differ from the norm, while the male patients differed highly significantly from the normal. The decrease of monoamine oxidase activity correlated with the level of negative disorders (r = 0,71; P less than 0,01). A correlation with positive disorders was not noted.