[Blood and liver monoamine oxidases in fatal alcoholic intoxication].

Biochemical studies of monoamine oxygenases (MAO) were studied in albino rats and in subjects dead from ethanol poisoning, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and coronary heart disease. Experiments demonstrated that chronic alcoholization leads to increase in the levels of both types of MAO (A and B), the longer the alcoholization, the more pronounced the increase. Intake of high ethanol doses in the course of regular alcohol abuse involves a drop in MAO activity (by 1.9-2-2 times). Study of MAO helps detect chronic alcoholization and differentiate it from coronary heart disease and alcoholic cardiomyopathy and thus make an objective conclusion about the cause of death and thanatogenesis.