title: The effect of lofepramine and other related agents on the motility of Tetrahymena pyriformis.
abstract: Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were introduced almost 50 years ago. Whilst there is no doubt that TCAs are effective in treating depression, they are also more cardiotoxic when taken in overdose than other antidepressant groups. Lofepramine is a more recently introduced modified TCA, which in animals and man has low toxicity when compared to older TCAs. Paradoxically, lofepramine is extensively metabolised to desipramine, which has considerable toxicity, both experimentally and in overdose. The toxicity of such compounds is attributed, in part, to a membrane stabilising effect (MSA) on cell membranes. This MSA causes gross effects to the cell structure and in turn, normal cell activity. The aim of this study was to compare the MSA of lofepramine with that of desipramine and amitriptyline in order to see if this might help to explain the low toxicity of lofepramine. The local anaesthetic agent lignocaine was also studied for comparison. Each compound was enclosed in a beta-cyclodextrin to increase its solubility in aqueous medium. The extent of MSA was determined as a measure of the effect on the swimming speed of the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis using a video image analysis system. The IC50s for the various drugs were then correlated with their respective octanol-water partition coefficient values (Pow). Amitriptyline had an IC50 of 1.26+/-0.29 mM, desipramine 75.99+/-14.40 mM, while lofepramine had an IC50 of 357.40+/-25.00 mM. Lignocaine had an IC50 of 85.73+/-18.30 mM. There was also a significant correlation between the IC50 values and the Pow values.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. pipdarcy@hotmail.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Darcy
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Henry
mesh_terms: D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D003505:Cyclodextrins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D003891:Desipramine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008127:Lofepramine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D013769:Tetrahymena pyriformis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014741:Video Recording; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D003505:Cyclodextrins; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; D000639:Amitriptyline; C031215:betadex; D008127:Lofepramine; D003891:Desipramine