Inhibition of diamine oxidase promotes uptake of putrescine from rat small intestine

In blood from the portal vein of anaesthetized rats the levels of histamine and putrescine were 2–3-fold lower compared to arterial blood. Putrescine concentration was increased severalfold and the difference between portal and arterial blood abolished in animals pretreated with the specific diamine oxidase inhibitor aminoguanidine. Histamine concentration was 40% lower in portal compared to arterial blood in animals treated with the mast cell degranulator compound 48/80. In animals pretreated with aminoguanidine, compound 48/80 enhanced the level of histamine and no difference was observed between arterial and portal blood. The amounts of intravenously injected [14C]-labeled histamine was about 15% lower in portal compared to arterial blood. The uptake of [14C]-putrescine from the small intestine was estimated. In urine from animals pretreated with aminoguanidine the concentration of [14C]-putrescine was more than 40-times higher than in control animals corresponding to a calculated uptake of about 7% in aminoguanidine treated animals. Our results suggest that intestinal diamine oxidase clears the blood from diamines and prevents luminal uptake of putrescine.