Some toxicological, biochemical and haematological studies of amitriptyline hydrochloride in albino rats

ABSTRACT

Toxicological studies including acute and subacute toxicity of amitriptyline hydrochloride, which is one of the tricyclic antidepressant drugs, were carried out on albino rats. The median lethal dose [LD50] of the test drug after a single intraperitoneal dose injection was estimated to be 283 mg/Kg body weight. Subacute toxicity study continued for 30 days with two different dose levels daily equivalent to 1/20th and 1/10th of LD50 of amitriptyline-HCL to evaluate its adverse side effects on liver enzymes and haematological picture.Both dose levels exerted a very highly and highly significant increase in the values of SGOT, SGPT and serum alkaline phosphatase through the period of the experiment. The values of erythrocytes, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, leucocytes, neutrophils and Lymphocytes showed a significant decrease with difference in degrees of significance by the two dose levels So those who use the drug should be aware of possible occurrence of hepatic damage and blood dyscrasias