Contradictory effects of chlorpromazine on endothelial cells in a rat model of endotoxic shock in association with its actions on serum TNF-α levels and antioxidant enzyme activities

• Published in: Pharmacological research 2003-09, Vol.48 (3), p.223-230
• Main Authors: Can, Cenk, Demirci, Buket, Uysal, Ayşegül, Akçay, Yasemin Delen, Koşay, Sezen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antioxidant; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Aorta - drug effects; Aorta - ultrastructure; Catalase - drug effects; Catalase - metabolism; Chlorpromazine; Chlorpromazine - pharmacology; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endothelial cell; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Endothelium, Vascular - pathology; Endothelium, Vascular - ultrastructure; Endotoxemia; Escherichia coli; Lipopolysaccharides; Liver - enzymology; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Shock, Septic - chemically induced; Shock, Septic - metabolism; Shock, Septic - pathology; Superoxide Dismutase - drug effects; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; TNF-α; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 1043-6618; 1096-1186
• DOI: 10.1016/S1043-6618(03)00093-8

We examined the effects of the phenothiazine derivative, chlorpromazine on thoracic aortic endothelial cell histology (14 h after LPS challenge) in a model of endotoxic shock in rats. Since excessive formation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and oxygen-derived free radicals contribute to endothelial injury in endotoxemia, we also evaluated the effect of the drug on the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in liver tissue in this model and tried to find out whether this possible effect was associated with a change in serum TNF-α levels (measured 90 min after chlorpromazine administration). Endotoxemia was induced by a single i.p. injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg kg −1 in 1.5 ml of saline; LPS from Escherichia coli serotype 055:B5, L-2880, Sigma Chemical Company). Electron microscopic evaluation of the aortas revealed that chlorpromazine (administered 30 min prior to LPS challenge), in smaller doses (3 mg kg −1) ameliorated the endothelial cell injury caused by LPS, whereas it caused deterioration of endothelial cell morphology in higher doses (10 and 25 mg kg −1). Chlorpromazine administration caused a significant reduction in serum TNF-α levels, which was correlated well with an increase in SOD activity in all drug doses (3, 10 and 25 mg kg −1). Catalase activity was increased only in the 25 mg kg −1 chlorpromazine group.