IDENTIFICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BENZYLAMINE IN TISSUE EXTRACTS ISOLATED FROM RATS PRETREATED WITH PARGYLINE

Although the rate of conversion of pargyline to benzylamine in vitro was very low (in liver, approximately 0.04% of unlabeled pargyline was converted to benzylamine in 1 h and 0.09% of pargyline [14C] was converted to benzylamine [14C] in 90 min), the concentration of benzylamine in tissues became substantial 4 h after administration of the drug. It is probable that most benzylamine found in the body is produced in the liver and distributed by the blood to other tissues. The mechanism by which benzylamine is formed from pargyline is not known. Pargyline was not converted to benzylamine, however, as incubation of the drug in buffer solution, to which 25 ng of deuterated benzylamine was subsequently added, yielded nondeuterated benzylamine in amounts no greater than that found in blank solutions containing only 25 ng of deuterated benzylamine.