Pargyline is a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor (MAOI). This drug has antihypertensive properties and is, thus, indicated in treating moderate to severe hypertension. Pargyline inhibits the breakdown of monoamine neurotransmitters, leading to an increase in their concentration in the neurons. There are 2 isoforms of this protein: A and B. The first one is found in cells located in the periphery and breakdown serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and tyramine. The second one, the B isoform, breakdowns phenylethylamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and tyramine. This isoform is found in the extracellular tissues and mainly in the brain. The mechanism of action of the MAOIs is still not determined, it is thought that they act by increasing free serotonin and norepinephrine concentrations and/or altering the concentrations of other amines in the CNS. MAO-A inhibition is thought to be more relevant to antidepressant activity than the inhibition caused by MAO B. Selective MAO B inhibitors have no antidepressant effects—pargyline functions by inhibiting the metabolism of catecholamines and tyramine in the presynaptic neuron. In general, catecholamines cause physiological changes, allowing the body to respond to a fight-or-flight alarm. The typical effects are increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels.
Wishart DS, Feunang YD, Guo AC, Lo EJ, Marcu A, Grant JR, Sajed T, Johnson D, Li C, Sayeeda Z, Assempour N, Iynkkaran I, Liu Y, Maciejewski A, Gale N, Wilson A, Chin L, Cummings R, Le D, Pon A, Knox C, Wilson M: DrugBank 5.0: a major update to the DrugBank database for 2018. Nucleic Acids Res. 2018 Jan 4;46(D1):D1074-D1082. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkx1037.
Fuentes JA, Ordaz A, Neff NH: Central mediation of the antihypertensive effect of pargyline in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 1979 Jul 15;57(1):21-7. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(79)90099-2.
Enter relative concentration values (without units). Elements will be highlighted in a color gradient where red = lowest concentration and green = highest concentration. For the best results, view the pathway in Black and White.
