tricyclic antidepressants | Acta Medica Marisiensis

Study Regarding the Phototoxicity of Some Tricyclic Antidepressants

Székely P¹, Gyéresi Á², Hancu G², Laczkó Zöld Eszter³, Nagy E⁴

1 Department of Pharmaceutical Marketing, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
2 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
3 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
4 Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Objective: Our main objective was the development of a research methodology in order to assess the phototoxic potential on in vitro erythrocytes of five frequently used tricyclic antidepressants derivates.
Methods: The hemolytic effect of imipramine, clomipramine, amitryptiline, nortryptiline, doxepine hydrochloride was studied on erythrocytes after irradiation with UV light.
Results: The studied substances exhibited phototoxic effects on erythrocytes in the presence of UV light, causing their lysis to a greater extent than the one observed in a saline erythrocytes solution irradiated with UV light.
Discussions: The differences between the effects of the studied antidepressants on erythrocyte lysis in UV light are noticeable, the most pronounced effect being observed in the case of clomipramine hydrochloride and the lowest being observed in the case of doxepin hydrochloride.
Conclusions: The molecular structure influences significantly the phototoxic character of the studied substances. The molecule photosensitivity is not directly proportional with the phototoxic potential of the tricyclic antidepressants.

Identification of the Photodegradation Products of the Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs Clomipramine and Doxepine

Székely P¹, Gyéresi Á², Hancu G², Laczkó Zöld Eszter³, Vancea Szende⁴

1 Department of Pharmaceutical Marketing, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
2 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
3 Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
4 Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

Objective: Isolation and identification of the photodegradation products of the tricyclic antidepressant drugs clomipramine and doxepine after irradiation with ultraviolet light.
Methods: The photodegradation products were separated by a thin layer cromatographic method, followed by scraping the spots from the chromatoplate and extracting in methanol, which was followed by their identification by mass spectrometry.
Results: In the case of clomipramine seven degradation products were separated and the corresponding m/z values were determined, while analyzing doxepine there have been separated eight degradation products, of which six were identified by their m/z values. The results obtained for clomipramine are in accordance with literature data, except for desmethyl-clomipramine, for which we could not find any reference. Conclusions: The m/z values indicate that the possible degradation products for clomipramine are imipramine, HO-imipramine, desmethyl-clomipramine and HO-imipramine-N-oxide. In the case of doxepine we could identify two possible photodegradation products, HO-doxepine and doxepine-N-oxide.