Effect of chronic treatment of haloperidol on the rat liver: a stereological and histopathological study

Lysosomal membrane permeabilization mediated apoptosis involve in perphenazine-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro and in vivo

Antipsychotic drugs represent a class of lysosomotropic drugs widely used in clinical practice. However, the hepatotoxicity of these drugs has been reported in recent years. Therefore, understanding the changes in cellular homeostasis mediated by these drugs is of great significance for revealing the true mechanisms underlying hepatotoxicity. Perphenazine is a classical antipsychotic drug that can reportedly induce extrapyramidal and sympatholytic side effects. The present research focuses on the toxicity effect of perphenazine on normal human hepatocytes. To assess the hepatotoxicity of continuous administration of perphenazine and investigate potential mechanisms related to apoptosis, human normal L02 hepatocytes were exposed to 10-40μM perphenazine in vitro. The results showed that perphenazine inhibited cell viability in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, 30μM perphenazine induced intense lysosome vacuolation, impaired lysosomal membrane, and induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), ultimately triggering lysosomal cell death in L02 cells. Knockdown cathepsin D(CTSD) also ameliorated perphenazine-induced liver injury via the inhibition of LMP. In vivo, ICR mice received intragastric administration of 10-180mg/kg B.W. perphenazine every other day for 21 days. 180mg/kg perphenazine significantly increased histological injury and aminotransferases compared with control. Taken together, our findings suggest that perphenazine can trigger hepatotoxicity through lysosome disruption both in vitro and in vivo.

Ameliorating schizophrenia-like symptoms in vasopressin deficient male Brattleboro rat by chronic antipsychotic treatment

Due to its various function vasopressin has been associated with many psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Our previous study confirmed that vasopressin-deficient (di/di) Brattleboro rat can be a good genetic model for schizophrenia. Our present aim was to confirm whether the treatment effects of marketed antipsychotics are similar in di/di rats to those seen in human schizophrenic patients. Chronic subcutaneous administration of aripiprazole (5 mg/kg), clozapine (1 mg/kg), haloperidol (0.1 mg/kg), olanzapine (0.3 mg/kg) or risperidone (0.25 mg/kg) was used for 15 days in control (+/+ Brattleboro) and di/di rats. Social discrimination, social avoidance and prepulse inhibition tests were conducted on day 1, 8 and 15 of the treatment. Vasopressin-deficient rats showed social memory- and sensorimotor gating deficit. All used antipsychotics successfully normalized the reduced prepulse inhibition of di/di animals. However, most were effective only after prolonged treatment. Aripiprazole, clozapine, and olanzapine normalized the social memory deficit, while the effects of haloperidol and risperidone were not unequivocal. All drugs reduced social interest to some extent both in control and in di/di animals, aripiprazole being the less implicated in this regard during the social avoidance test. The restoration of schizophrenia-like behavior by antipsychotic treatment further support the utility of the vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro rat as a good preclinical model. Reduced social interest might be a general side-effect of antipsychotics, and aripiprazole has the most favorable profile in this regard.

Design and synthesis of N‑(benzylpiperidinyl)‑4‑fluorobenzamide: A haloperidol analog that reduces neuropathic nociception via σ1 receptor antagonism

AIMS

Haloperidol is a neuroleptic drug with high affinity towards the σ1 receptor (σ1R), acting as antagonist that decreases neuropathic pain, but has CNS side effects. This work describes the design and synthesis of a novel analog N‑(1‑benzylpiperidin‑4-yl)‑4‑fluorobenzamide (LMH-2), which produced antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects in rats with neuropathy induced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI), being more active than gabapentin (The most widely used drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain).

MAIN METHODS

LMH-2 was designed as haloperidol analog. Its structure was characterized by spectroscopic (1H and 13C NMR) and spectrometric mass (electronic impact) techniques. Additionally, in silico predictions of pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and toxicological properties were obtained, with promising results. A competitive binding assay using radioligands was employed to evaluate the in vitro affinity for σ1R, whereas in vivo antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic activities were investigated using Wistar rats with CCI.

KEY FINDINGS

LMH-2 showed high affinity for σ1R in an in vitro binding assay, with a Ki = 6.0 nM and a high σ1R/σ2R selectivity ratio. Molecular docking studies were carried out to determine the binding energy and to analyze LMH-2-protein interactions. Through an in silico pharmacological consensus analysis, LMH-2 was considered safe for in vivo evaluation. Thus, LMH-2 had dose-dependent antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic activities; its efficacy was comparable to that of gabapentin, but its potency was 2-times higher than this drug.

SIGNIFICANCE

LMH-2 administration produced antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects by the antagonism of σ1R, suggesting its potential use as an analgesic drug for neuropathic pain.

Bilateral ovariectomy in young rats: what happens in their livers during cecal ligation and puncture induced sepsis?

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Pediatric ovarian masses comprise a heterogeneous group of benign and malignant lesions. Surgical methods consist of emergency or programmed surgery with tumoral resection and uni/bilateral oophorectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy. We examined whether bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) worsens liver injury during the onset of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis in rats.

DESIGN

The rat groups were: sham, bilateral-OVX, sepsis, and OVX-sepsis.

SETTINGS

After OVX operation, rats were allowed to recover for 12 weeks. At the end of recovery, CLP was applied 16 hours after sepsis induction.

MAIN OUTCOME

There was a significant difference in the numerical density of hepatocytes only between the sepsis and the OVX-sepsis groups. Serum ALT and AST were increased significantly in the OVX-sepsis group. NF-κB activation after OVX increased after induction of sepsis. OVX-sepsis group showed marked thrombosis in portal vein branches and the central vein, degeneration in the bile ducts, and widespread ischemic areas in liver sections. Intra-inflammatory cell invasion was observed in both the portal and intrasinusoidal areas.

DISCUSSION

This study indicates that increases in liver NF-κB activity in ovariectomized rats following CLP-induced sepsis correlates with elevated levels of serum ALT and AST and with histopathologic changes in rat liver. Bilateral OVX therefore appears to play a role in the activation of NF-κB or in production of cytokines in liver cells. Thus, we provided novel insight into the effects of OVX on liver injury following CLP-induced sepsis.

The use of design-based stereology to evaluate volumes and numbers in the liver: a review with practical guidelines

Stereology offers a number of tools for the analysis of sections in microscopy (which usually provide only two-dimensional information) for the purpose of estimating geometric quantities, such as volume, surface area, length or number of particles (cells or other structures). The use of these tools enables recovery of the three-dimensional information that is inherent in biological tissues. This review uses the liver as a paradigm for summarizing the most commonly used state-of-the-art methods for quantitation in design-based stereology. Because it is often relevant to distinguish hyperplasia and hypertrophy in liver responses, we also focus on potential pitfalls in the sampling and processing of liver specimens for stereological purposes, and assess the existing methods for volume and number estimation. With respect to volume, we considered whole liver volume (V), volume density (V(V)) and so-called local volumes, including the number-weighted volume (V(N)) and the volume-weighted volume (V(V)). For number, we considered the total number (N) and the numerical density (N(V)). If correctly applied, current stereological methods guarantee that no bias is introduced in the estimates, which will be therefore accurate; additionally, methods can be tuned for obtaining precise quantitative estimates that can reveal subtle changes in the volume or number of selected hepatic cells. These methods have already detailed the effects of some substances and specific diets on the liver, and should be routinely included in the toolbox of liver research.

Does haloperidol have side effects on histological and stereological structure of the rat kidneys?

Haloperidol, a typical antipsychotic, is the most commonly prescribed medication for the treatment of mental health problems such as agitation and psychosis. We attempted to determine the effects of haloperidol treatment on the kidneys of female rats. In addition, we aimed to estimate the numerical density, total number, and height of renal glomeruli and the volume and volumetric fractions of the cortex, medulla, and whole kidneys, and tried to determine whether there was a change in these stereological parameters depending on haloperidol treatment. Both the qualitative and quantitative histological features of the kidney samples were analyzed with conventional histopathological and modern stereological methods at the light microscopic level. The total number of glomeruli and numerical density of glomerulus in the haloperidol-treated groups was not changed by increasing the dose in comparison to the control group. The mean height of the glomerulus significantly increased, especially in low-dose groups. In the haloperidol-treated groups, the volumetric fractions of the cortex to the whole kidney of the rats were significantly decreased by increasing the dose. The volumetric fractions of the medulla to the whole kidney of the rats were increased significantly in parallel by the given dose. In addition, we present quantitative findings showing that haloperidol is associated with many alterations in rat kidneys. It was shown that haloperidol may lead to undesirable changes in the kidney after chronic treatment with especially high doses.