Monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) [amiflamine (AMF) and 4-methylthioamphetamine (MTA)] and MAO-B (L-deprenyl) inhibitors were found to be cytotoxic in a concentration-dependent manner for RCHT cells derived from adult rat hypothalamus. The cytotoxic effects were increased when the inhibitors were co-incubated with dicoumarol and especially with 25 micro M AMF+100 micro M dicoumarol (2.5-fold; P <0.001). The treatment of RCHT cells solely with AMF induced a marked decrease in the expression of DT-diaphorase mRNA.