title: In vivo toxicity and pulmonary effects of promazine and chlorpromazine in rats.
abstract: Cationic amphiphilic drugs induce a phospholipid storage disorder known as phospholipidosis. Halogenated analogs of the drugs are more potent inducers of phospholipidosis when compared to nonhalogenated analogs. Two such antipsychotic drugs, promazine and chlorpromazine, are effectively taken up by the lungs and induce lamellar inclusions in vitro. We compared the in vivo toxicity and efficacy of promazine and chlorpromazine to induce phospholipidosis in the lung and in pulmonary alveolar macrophages. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given promazine or chlorpromazine (25 mg/kg/day, P.O., in water) for 5 weeks. Food intake was decreased in promazine- and chlorpromazine-treated rats, chlorpromazine rats being affected more than promazine rats. To minimize experimental error due to starvation, control rats were pair-fed. The body weight gain was decreased in chlorpromazine rats in comparison to pair-fed controls. Chlorpromazine-treated rats, but not promazine-treated rats, showed increased mortality over the 5-week treatment period. Histopathologic examination of lung revealed loss of alveolar macrophages with no other gross abnormalities in chlorpromazine-treated rats. Quantitative analysis of lung lavage also showed significant reduction in the number of macrophages. This finding is in contrast to other cationic amphiphilic drugs, which induce phospholipidosis as well as accumulation of alveolar macrophages. Phospholipid level increased in alveolar macrophages but not in lavaged lung following chlorpromazine treatment. Acid phosphatase activity in lavaged lung homogenate and macrophages of promazine- and chlorpromazine-treated rats, taken as an index of toxicity to cells, did not differ significantly from control rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson 39216-4505.
authors.forename: U P
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Kodavanti
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Lockard
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mehendale
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000187:drug effects; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011395:Promazine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010743:Phospholipids; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D011395:Promazine; D002746:Chlorpromazine