Modification of rat uterine monoamine oxidase activity by steroid hormones

The monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in the ovariectomized rat uterus was significantly increased above control levels in animals given testosterone: 33% (P smaller than 0.01) with tryptamine or 34% (P smaller than 0.05) with tyramine as substrate. Activity was also higher in hydrocortisone-treated animals: 30% (P smaller than 0.05) with tyramine or 25% (P smaller than 0.05) with tryptamine as substrate. Progesterone injection increased MAO activity toward tyramine by 20% but towards tryptamine by only 8%. The differences are not statistically significant but are believed to be real since they were reproducible. MAO activity in oestradiol-treated animals was 11% less than in the controls for both substrates. Although they are not significant differences, they were reproducible. No change in MAO activity was observed in the cerebellum, hypothalamus or anterior pituitary of ovariectomized rats after steroid treatment. At oestrus the enzyme activity in the uterus was lower than at dioestrus or prooestrus when beta-phenylethylamine was the substrate. When 5-hydroxytryptamine was used to measure enzyme activity, the same values were found at oestrus, dioestrus and prooestrus. Ovariectomy did not cause any changes in MAO activity in any of the tissues. Effects of the steroids in vivo were probably not due to a direct action on the enzyme since only at high concentration did they have any effect on the mitochondrial enzyme activity of the uterus in vivo.