| Purpose: Amitriptyline, one of the commonly used tricyclic antidepressants, caused rare but
severe hepatotoxicity in patients who received it continuously. Previous findings showed
that the intermediate metabolites of amitriptyline produced by CYP450 are involved in
hepatic injury. Melatonin is an antiaging and antioxidant hormone synthesized from pineal
gland. The aim of present study was to evaluate the protective role of melatonin in an in
vitro model of isolated rat hepatocytes.
Methods: Markers such as cell viability, reactive oxygen species formation, lipid
peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and hepatocytes glutathione content were
evaluated every 60 minutes for 180 minutes.
Results: Present results indicated that administration of 1mM of melatonin effectively
reduced the cell death, ROS formation and lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane
potential collapse, and reduced cellular glutathione content caused by amitriptyline.
Conclusion: Our results indicated that melatonin is an effective antioxidant in preventing
amitriptyline-induced hepatotoxicity. We recommend further in vivo animal and clinical
trial studies on the hepatoprotective effects of melatonin in patients receiving amitriptyline. |