Monoamine oxidase activities in dissociated cell fractions from rat skeletal muscle

Collagenase was used to dissociate rat skeletal muscle (gastrocnemius) into its constituent cells, from which a myocyte fraction enriched in striated muscle cells, and a non-myocyte fraction containing cells of connective tissue and vascular origin, were prepared. The activities of amine oxidase enzymes and alkaline phosphatase (AP) were then assayed in these fractions, and also in homogenates prepared from corresponding samples of non-dissociated tissue. The specific activities of the semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) and AP were considerably higher (30 to 35-fold) in non-myocyte than in myocyte fractions. AP is generally considered to be present predominantly in vascular cells of skeletal muscle, with little, if any, in skeletal muscle cells themselves. Thus, the results obtained may indicate a similar localization for SSAO activity. Support for this came from histochemical studies, which showed staining for SSAO primarily over the walls of larger blood vessels in the muscle. Unlike SSAO and AP, were marked differences in MAO-A activity between myocyte and non-myocyte fractions were not found, suggesting that MAO-A is more probably a constituent of cells within both fractions.