Platelet monoamine oxidase activity in schlzophrenic families-kinetic aspects

Abstract
Monoamine oxidase activity (MAO) was determined in platelets in samples from a North-Swedish pedigree with a high frequency of schizophrenia. The MAO assay was performed with phenethylamine as substrate and with two concentrations of oxygen (0.06 and 0.12 mM). A tendency to lowered Vmax and increased apparent Km values was observed among the schizophrenic subjects, although there were no statistically significant differences in apparent Km and Vmax values between schizophrenics and their non-schizophrenic relatives.