A spin label study of the membrane effect of various psychoactive drugs in human erythrocytes.
The effect of psychoactive agents with different clinical actions: three sedative neuroleptics (trifluoperazine, alimemazine tartrate, chlorpromazine), an anticholinergic agent (trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride), two tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine, desipramine) and lithium carbonate on the rotational correlation frequency (V+) of the spin label 16NS has been comparatively investigated in whole human erythrocytes. V+ was about 40% increased by the three neuroleptics, the anticholinergic agent and the antidepressant molecules at 0.2 mM. By contrast, lithium did not induce any significant change in V+ at the same concentrations. It can be suggested that the increase in "membrane fluidity", observed with a wide variety of drugs, is a non specific effect, unrelated to the psychotropic action, that can be ascribed to the amphiphilic properties of the tested drugs.
Lejoyeux
M
M
CRSSA, Division de Biophysique, La Tronche, Grenoble, France.
Daveloose
D
D
Mazière
J C
JC
Adès
J
J
Viret
J
J
D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013113:Spin Labels
D005227:Fatty Acids; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D013113:Spin Labels