Indolethylamine-N-methyltransferase in serum samples of schizophrenics and normal controls

Human Indolethylamine N-Methyltransferase: cDNA Cloning and Expression, Gene Cloning, and Chromosomal Localization

“…Tryptamine N-methylating activity has been detected in a variety of tissues and species (Axelrod, 1961(Axelrod, , 1962Saavedra and Axelrod, 1972;Mandel et al, 1972;Narasimhachari et al, 1972;Saavedra et al, 1973;Wyatt et al, 1973;Mandell et al, 1974;Bhikharidas et al, 1975;Rä isä nen and Kä rkkä inen, 1978;Porta et al, 1979;Kennedy et al, 1995), but this activity has been best characterized biochemically in the rabbit lung. Therefore, a cDNA and gene encoding a rabbit tryptamine N-methyltransferase, INMT, were recently cloned and characterized (Thompson and Weinshilboum, 1998).…”

A Review of Nicotinic Acid, N-Methylated Indoleamines and Schizophrenia

“…While in the brain of schizophrenics it was found to be normal {Domino et al, 1973), in the blood of schizophrenics the results have led to some controversy. This was to the extent that Narasimhachari et al (1972) detected N-methylating activity only in the blood of acute and chronic schizophrenics, while Wyatt et al (1973c) found no difference in NMT enzyme activity in red blood cells, plasma and dialyzed platelets between schizophrenics and various control groups, but found higher activity in the nondialyzed plate lets of schizophrenics. On the basis of this finding, Wyatt et al (1973c) specu lated that there might be an inhibitor of the NMT enzyme which is decreased in both schizophrenic and depressed patients.…”

“…Using more refined methods including gas-liquid chromatography, Tanimukai et al (1970) and Narasimhachari et al (1972) found bufotenine in the urine of schizophrenics given an MAOI and cysteine. Narasimhachari et al (1974) used gas chromatographic mass spectrometric methods to identify bufo tenine in chronic schizophrenics.…”

Untersuchungen zur Trifluoracetylierung der Methylderivate von Tryptamin und Serotonin mit verschiedenen Derivatisierungsreagentien: Synthesen, Spektroskopie sowie analytische Trennungen mittels Kapillar-GC / Trifluoroacetylation of Methylated -Derivatives of Tryptamine and Serotonine by Different Reagents: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterizations, and Separations by C apillary-Gas-Chromatography

“…D as V orkom m en von m ethylieren d en E nzym e im m enschlichen G ehirn ist erw ie sen [19][20][21][22]. E b en so ist das A uftreten von sowohl 4 als auch 7 und 8 im U rin schizophrener P atien ten , im G egensatz zur form ulierten H ypothese ab e r auch bei gesunden P robanden, inzwischen zw eifelsfrei nachgew iesen [23][24][25][26][27], w obei der U n terschied zwischen diesen beiden U ntersuchungs-G ru p p en nur in d en bei den P atienten wesentlich 0932-0776/99/0300-0397 $ 06.00 …”