Assay of platelet monoamine oxidase in whole blood

Monoamine oxidase (MAO; EC 1.4.3.4.) was measured in whole blood with kynuramine as the substrate. Optimal circumstances were determined. By use of selective inhibitors, gradient centrifugation, dilution of samples and removal of thrombocytes from whole blood it was shown that this assay of MAO in whole blood is in fact a determination of platelet MAO. No reversible endogenous inhibitors are present in the blood. Because preparation of platelet-rich plasma may lead to considerable losses of specific subpopulations with relatively low or high enzyme activities, the advantage of using whole blood is that the MAO activity is determined in the whole platelet population.