Inhibition of MAO activity was measured in rat brain homogenates using 5-HT as MAO-A substrate and phenylethylamine as MAO-B substrate. Moclobemide rather selectively inhibited MAO-A. Its inhibitory potency is rather low, like that of toloxatone, whereas clorgyline, harmaline, cimoxatone and brofaromine were all found to be at least 100 times more potent. Phenelzine, isocarboxazid and tranylcypromine were nonspecific, inhibiting MAO-A and MAO-B to about the same extent. The same drugs were also tested ex vivo. Here again moclobemide preferentially inhibited MAO-A; it was equipotent to clorgyline and brofaromine in these tests, and 2-4 times as potent as cimoxatone and harmaline. Moclobemide is a relatively weak MAO-A inhibitor in vitro and yet more potent in vivo than other reversible inhibitors, suggesting that the compound may be converted in vivo to an active form. Nevertheless, it has not been possible so far to identify activated derivatives, and recent findings that moclobemide markedly inhibits liver MAO-A within 5 min of an intravenous injection strongly suggests that the compound itself is responsible for the inhibition.