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Abstract
Platelet monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) has been proposed to be a biological marker for the properties of monoamine systems, with low activity being associated with vulnerability for high scores on personality traits such as sensation seeking, monotony avoidance, and impulsiveness, as well as for vulnerability for alcoholism. In the present study, platelet MAO-B activity was analysed in 78 rhesus macaques, and its relation to voluntary alcohol intake and behaviours after intravenous alcohol administration was observed.
Monkeys with low platelet MAO-B activity had low levels of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid in cerebrospinal fluid and showed excessive aggression after alcohol administration. A novel finding was that animals with low platelet MAO-B activity showed less intoxication following alcohol administration. As we have shown previously, they also voluntarily consumed more alcohol. We here replicate results from studies on both humans and non-human primates, showing the utility of platelet MAO as a marker for risk behaviours and alcohol abuse. Furthermore, we link platelet MAO activity to alcohol sensitivity.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to research and animal care staff at the Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), including Stephen Lindell, Melanie Schwandt, Scott Chen, and Tim Newman, for technical assistance and more.
Staff and research were supported by intramural research funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and by grants from the Swedish Research Foundation (VR), AFA Insurance, and Swedish Brain Foundation.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.