Maintenance of brain monoamine oxidase B inhibition in smokers after overnight cigarette abstinence.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to replicate a previous finding that smokers have lower brain monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) levels than comparison nonsmoking subjects and to determine if levels recover after overnight cigarette abstinence.


METHODS
Brain MAO-B levels were measured by means of positron emission tomography in six smokers who were scanned twice: 11.3 hours (baseline) and 10 minutes after smoking one cigarette.


RESULTS
Average MAO-B levels in smokers in the present study were similar to those found in the previous study and averaged 39% (SD=17) lower than those found in a comparison group of nonsmokers. Brain MAO-B levels did not differ between baseline levels and 10 minutes after smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
This study reinforces the need to investigate whether MAO-B inhibition may account for some of the behavioral and epidemiological features of smoking.
Fowler
J S
JS
Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA. fowler@bnl.gov
Wang
G J
GJ
Volkow
N D
ND
Franceschi
D
D
Logan
J
J
Pappas
N
N
Shea
C
C
MacGregor
R R
RR
Garza
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D015415:Biomarkers; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase