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Aromatic aldehydes are good substrates of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity but are relatively poor substrates of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase. However, the oxidation of xenobiotic-derived aromatic aldehydes by the latter enzymes has not been studied to any great extent. The present investigation compares the relative contribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase, aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase activities in the oxidation of isovanillin in separate preparations and also in freshly prepared and cryopreserved liver slices. The oxidation of isovanillin was also examined in the presence of specific inhibitors of each oxidizing enzyme. Minimal transformation of isovanillin to isovanillic acid was observed in partially purified aldehyde oxidase, which is thought to be due to residual xanthine oxidase activity. Isovanillin was rapidly metabolized to isovanillic acid by high amounts of purified xanthine oxidase, but only low amounts are present in guinea pig liver fraction. Thus the contribution of xanthine oxidase to isovanillin oxidation in guinea pig is very low. In contrast, isovanillin was rapidly catalyzed to isovanillic acid by guinea pig liver aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The inhibitor studies revealed that isovanillin was predominantly metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The oxidation of xenobiotic-derived aromatic aldehydes with freshly prepared or cryopreserved liver slices has not been previously reported. In freshly prepared liver slices, isovanillin was rapidly converted to isovanillic acid, whereas the conversion was very slow in cryopreserved liver slices due to low aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The formation of isovanillic acid was not altered by allopurinol, but considerably inhibited by disulfiram. It is therefore concluded that isovanillin is predominantly metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, with minimal contribution from either aldehyde oxidase or xanthine oxidase., (Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

2-phenylethylamine is an endogenous constituent of the human brain and is implicated in cerebral transmission. This bioactive amine is also present in certain foodstuffs such as chocolate, cheese and wine and may cause undesirable side effects in susceptible individuals. Metabolism of 2-phenylethylamine to phenylacetaldehyde is catalysed by monoamine oxidase B but the oxidation to its acid is usually ascribed to aldehyde dehydrogenase and the contribution of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase, if any, is ignored. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of the molybdenum hydroxylases, aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase, in the metabolism of phenylacetaldehyde derived from its parent biogenic amine. Treatments of 2-phenylethylamine with monoamine oxidase were carried out for the production of phenylacetaldehyde, as well as treatments of synthetic or enzymatic-generated phenylacetaldehyde with aldehyde oxidase, xanthine oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The results indicated that phenylacetaldehyde is metabolised mainly to phenylacetic acid with lower concentrations of 2-phenylethanol by all three oxidising enzymes. Aldehyde dehydrogenase was the predominant enzyme involved in phenylacetaldehyde oxidation and thus it has a major role in 2-phenylethylamine metabolism with aldehyde oxidase playing a less prominent role. Xanthine oxidase does not contribute to the oxidation of phenylacetaldehyde due to low amounts being present in guinea pig. Thus aldehyde dehydrogenase is not the only enzyme oxidising xenobiotic and endobiotic aldehydes and the role of aldehyde oxidase in such reactions should not be ignored.

Aliphatic aldehydes have a high affinity toward aldehyde dehydrogenase activity but are relatively poor substrates of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase. In addition, the oxidation of xenobiotic-derived aromatic aldehydes by the latter enzymes has not been studied to any great extent. The present investigation compares the relative contribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase, aldehyde oxidase, and xanthine oxidase activities in the oxidation of substituted benzaldehydes in separate preparations. The incubation of vanillin, isovanillin, and protocatechuic aldehyde with either guinea pig liver aldehyde oxidase, bovine milk xanthine oxidase, or guinea pig liver aldehyde dehydrogenase demonstrated that the three aldehyde oxidizing enzymes had a complementary substrate specificity. Incubations were also performed with specific inhibitors of each enzyme (isovanillin for aldehyde oxidase, allopurinol for xanthine oxidase, and disulfiram for aldehyde dehydrogenase) to determine the relative contribution of each enzyme in the oxidation of these aldehydes. Under these conditions, vanillin was rapidly oxidized by aldehyde oxidase, isovanillin was predominantly metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, and protocatechuic aldehyde was slowly oxidized, possibly by all three enzymes. Thus, aldehyde oxidase activity may be a significant factor in the oxidation of aromatic aldehydes generated from amines and alkyl benzenes during drug metabolism. In addition, this enzyme may also have a role in the catabolism of biogenic amines such as dopamine and noradrenaline where 3-methoxyphenylacetic acids are major metabolites.

Partially purified enzyme from guinea-pig leucocytes has been shown to have properties similar to both guinea-pig and rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase. The presence of molybdenum in the leucocyte enzyme has been demonstrated and substrate oxidation by either guinea-pig enzyme was found to be completely inhibited by menadione, a potent inhibitor of rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase. The leucocyte enzyme resembles the guinea-pig liver enzyme in terms of substrate specificity but there is considerable variation in substrate oxidation rates between the two species.