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J Bioenerg Biomembr 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

Radiotherapy is a cancer treatment protocol which delivers high dose of ionizing radiation (IR) to tumor. Tumor resistance and side effects induced by IR still are the major challenges in radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the synergistic killing effect of fluoxetine (FL) with IR on glioma cancer cell (U-87 MG), as well as radioprotective effect of FL against cellular toxicity induced by IR on non-malignant human fibroblast cell (HFFF2). Read More

Eur J Med Chem 2020 Apr 29;198:112368. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Departamento de Química Orgánica y Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Olivos, 1007, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address:

During the last decade, the one drug-one target strategy has resulted to be inefficient in facing diseases with complex ethiology like Alzheimer's disease and many others. In this context, the multitarget paradigm has emerged as a promising strategy. Based on this consideration, we aim to develop novel molecules as promiscuous ligands acting in two or more targets at the same time. Read More

Chest 2020 May;157(5):e145-e149

Intensive Care Department, Ealing Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Southall, United Kingdom.

A 33-year-old woman experienced 90 min of in-hospital cardiac arrest following an intentional overdose of anhydrous caffeine powder. In the face of prolonged and apparently futile resuscitation attempts, high-dose insulin euglycemic therapy was initiated. A loading dose of 1 IU/kg/h of IV insulin resulted in a dramatic improvement in perfusion. Read More

Arch Toxicol 2020 May 5. Epub 2020 May 5.

Divisions of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR)/U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA.

Sertraline, an antidepressant, is commonly used to manage mental health symptoms related to depression, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The use of sertraline has been associated with rare but severe hepatotoxicity. Previous research demonstrated that mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum stress were involved in sertraline-associated cytotoxicity. Read More

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020 May 1;102:109956. Epub 2020 May 1.

Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica e Bioprospecção, Laboratório de Bioquímica e Neurofarmacologia Molecular (LABIONEM), Grupo de Pesquisa em Neurobiotecnologia (GPN), Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos (CCQFA), Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), CEP 96010-900 Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Electronic address:

Monoaminergic and oxidative dysfunctions have been reported to play a role in depression. The present study investigated the antioxidant potential as well as the antidepressant-like action of 2-phenyl-3-(phenylselanyl)benzofuran (SeBZF1) in male Swiss mice. Time and dose-response curves were analyzed with the forced swim (FST) and tail suspension (TST) tests, in which SeBZF1 elicited antidepressant-like effects. Read More

Niger J Physiol Sci 2019 Dec 31;34(2):191-199. Epub 2019 Dec 31.

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria..

Blighia unijugata (Sapindaceae) is an indigenous tree belonging to the tropical forests of West Africa. It is called "Ako Isin" by the Yoruba people of Southern-Western part of Nigeria, where it is among plants used traditionally in the management of depressive psychosis. The aim of this present study was to evaluate the anti-depressant activity of ethanol extract of Blighia unijugata leaves in-vivo using acute and chronic experimental models of depression. Read More

Pharmaceutics 2020 Apr 21;12(4). Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Research Group on Bioactive Natural Products (PNBio), Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59.012-570, Brazil.

A variety of neuroactive flavonoids can be found in the species of the genus; however, their difficulty in crossing the blood-brain barrier limits their in vivo neuropharmacological activity. In this study, cationic nanoparticles were developed as a novel nanocarrier for improving the antidepressant activity of f. leaf extract. Read More

J Clin Med 2020 Apr 19;9(4). Epub 2020 Apr 19.

Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernani Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.

Vacha ( Linn. (Acoraceae)) is a traditional Indian medicinal herb, which is practiced to treat a wide range of health ailments, including neurological, gastrointestinal, respiratory, metabolic, kidney, and liver disorders. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive up-to-date report on its ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, and pharmacotherapeutic potential, while identifying potential areas for further research. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2020 Apr 18;257:112829. Epub 2020 Apr 18.

Department of Pharmacy, The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA, Lanzhou, 730050, PR China.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a popular shrub in the Rubiaceae family. The desiccative ripe fruits of this plant (called Zhizi in China) are well known and frequently used not only as an excellent natural colourant, but also as an important traditional medicine for the treatment of different diseases, such as reducing fire except vexed, clearing away heat evil, and cooling blood and eliminating stasis to activate blood circulation. It has also been declared as the first batch of dual-purpose plants used for food and medical functions in China. Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2020 ;120(3. Vyp. 2):29-32

National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Research School of Chemical and Biomedical Technologies, Tomsk, Russia.

Introduction: Ischemic stroke is one of the most severe neurological pathologies with high mortality and disability. In this connection, the development and study of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of stroke is an extremely important task. A new approach to neuroprotection is the use of lithium salts with antioxidant activity. Read More

Life Sci 2020 Jul 13;252:117669. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

Research Center for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development (IMPLAD), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address:

Chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) is an ethologically relevant psychosocial stress animal model and has been widely used in depression studies. Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) is the major active ingredients of ginseng with low toxicity and neuroprotective effects. The present study aims to investigate the antidepressant effects of Rg1 in CSDS mice and explore its molecular mechanism. Read More

Arch Toxicol 2020 Apr 4. Epub 2020 Apr 4.

Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Depressive disorders are amongst the greatest mental health challenges, with an increasing number of patients being diagnosed each year. Though it has not yet been fully elucidated, redox metabolism imbalances and oxidative stress seem to play a major role in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most prescribed antidepressants, considered to have a better tolerability. Read More

Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020 Mar 20;13(3). Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Department of Bio-Health Technology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea.

Roxb. is traditionally used by the indigenous communities of Bangladesh to treat different diseases, such as pain, edema, tumor, jaundice, and skin infections. This study tested neuro-pharmacological, anti-nociceptive, and antidiarrheal activities by in vivo and in silico experiments for the metabolites extracted (methanol) from the leaves of (MECR). Read More

Drug Res (Stuttg) 2020 May 30;70(5):188-198. Epub 2020 Mar 30.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Integral University, Lucknow, India.

The world health organization reports that 80% of the population living within the developing countries depends basically on traditional medicine for his or her primary health care. Quite half the entire world's population still depends entirely on plants for medicines, and plants provides the active ingredients to the most traditional medical products. that belong to the family Rubiaceae, is mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Read More

Cardiovasc Toxicol 2020 Mar 26. Epub 2020 Mar 26.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, Turkey.

Taking an overdose of AMT, a commonly prescribed tricyclic antidepressant drug, has an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. The cardiotoxicity of amitriptyline (AMT) is a commonly observed toxicity with high morbidity and mortality rates in emergency departments (ED). Nevertheless, there are still no effective treatment options for AMT-induced cardiotoxicity. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2020 Mar 26:1-7. Epub 2020 Mar 26.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Bupropion is an antidepressant that is commonly known to cause seizures in overdose. Because of concern for delayed onset of seizures, patients are frequently observed for prolonged periods after overdose. The primary objective is to evaluate the incidence and clinical parameters associated with late seizures following bupropion overdose. Read More

Molecules 2020 Mar 12;25(6). Epub 2020 Mar 12.

Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Etiler, Ankara, Turkey.

As a Turkish traditional medicinal plant, aerial parts of L. subsp. (Fabaceae) are used as a painkiller, antihemoroidal, diuretic and sedative. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 Mar 11;10(1):4512. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.

Sertraline hydrochloride is a commonly prescribed antidepressant medication that acts by amplifying serotonin signaling. Numerous studies have suggested that children of women  taking sertraline during pregnancy have an increased risk of developmental defects. Resolving the degree of risk for human fetuses requires comprehensive knowledge of the pathways affected by this drug. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2020 Apr 9;24(7):3982-4000. Epub 2020 Mar 9.

Department of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.

Glioblastomas are the most aggressive type of brain tumour, with poor prognosis even after standard treatment such as surgical resection, temozolomide and radiation therapy. The overexpression of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in glioblastomas is recognized as an important treatment target. Thus, an urgent need regarding glioblastomas is the development of a new, suitable agent that may show potential for the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/NF-κB-mediated glioblastoma progression. Read More

Environ Sci Technol 2020 Apr 12;54(7):4664-4674. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

Laboratori d'Electroquı́mica dels Materials i del Medi Ambient, Departament de Quı́mica Fı́sica, Facultat de Quı́mica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.

Herein, the novel application of FeS/C nanocomposite as a highly active, stable, and recyclable catalyst for heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) treatment of organic water pollutants is discussed. The simultaneous carbonization and sulfidation of an iron-based metal-organic framework (MOF) yielded well-dispersed pyrite FeS nanoparticles of ∼100 nm diameter linked to porous carbon. XPS analysis revealed the presence of doping N atoms. Read More

Metab Brain Dis 2020 Jun 27;35(5):739-751. Epub 2020 Feb 27.

Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic beverage that affects the serotonergic system and have therapeutic potential for many diseases and disorders, including depression and drug addiction. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the potential toxic effects of ayahuasca on rats after chronic exposure, and the levels of monoamines, their metabolites and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain. Female and male rats were treated orally for 28 days with HO (control), fluoxetine (FLX), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, or ayahuasca (Aya) at doses of 0. Read More

Toxicol Lett 2020 Jun 21;325:43-50. Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Metabolic Profiling and Clinical Pathology, Investigational Toxicology, Pharmaceuticals Division, Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address:

As a consequence of the detoxification process, drugs and drug related metabolites can accumulate in the liver, resulting in drug induced liver injury (DILI), which is the major cause for dose limitation. Amitriptyline, a commonly used tricyclic anti-depressant, is known to cause DILI. The mechanism of Amitriptyline induced liver injury is not yet completely understood. Read More

Biomolecules 2020 Feb 14;10(2). Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Laboratorio de Neurobiología Conductual, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México.

Evidence suggests that histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors could be used as an effective treatment for some psychiatric and neurological conditions such as depression, anxiety and age-related cognitive decline. However, non-specific HDAC inhibiting compounds have a clear disadvantage regarding their efficacy and safety, thus the need to develop more selective ones. The present study evaluated the toxicity, the capacity to inhibit HDAC activity and antidepressant-like activity of three recently described class I HDAC inhibitors IN01, IN04 and IN14, using toxicity test, fluorometric HDAC activity assay and forced-swimming test, respectively. Read More

Eur J Hosp Pharm 2020 Jan 1;27(1):52-54. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Department of Pharmacy, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari. Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain.

Thiscase report concerns a 34-year-old male with a hip prosthesis infection, under treatment with antidepressant and antihypertensive drugs, who presented with an increase in blood pressure after four days of treatment with oral tedizolid. Tedizolid was discontinued, and the dose of antihypertensive was increased. The patient progressively achieved the normalisation of blood pressure values, which allowed a reduction in the antihypertensive agent dose to its usual regimen. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 Jan 22;10(1):993. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

Paik Institute for Clinical Research, Inje University, Busan, 47392, Republic of Korea.

The group II metabotropic glutamate 2/3 (mGlu) receptor antagonist LY341495 produces antidepressant-like effects by acting on mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptors in rodent. We investigated whether LY341495 affects neuroplasticity via these mechanisms in rat primary hippocampal cultures under conditions of dexamethasone (DEX)-induced neurotoxicity. Ketamine was used for comparison. Read More

Pharmacopsychiatry 2020 Mar 20;53(2):60-64. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, LWL-Klinik Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.

Introduction: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the 4th most common cause of liver damage in Western countries and can be caused by antidepressants.

Methods: Against the background of increasing antidepressant prescriptions and increasing use of polypharmacy, we analyzed administered antidepressants and other pharmacological substances, liver toxicity, comorbid somatic secondary diseases together with the occurrence of DILI in a patient population of 6 centers throughout Germany.

Results: The majority of the enrolled 329 patients received polypharmacological treatment in an inpatient setting. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2020 Apr 7;712:136564. Epub 2020 Jan 7.

MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.

Pharmaceutical compounds are continuously released into the aquatic environment, resulting in their ubiquitous presence in many estuarine and coastal systems. As pharmaceuticals are designed to produce effects at very low concentrations and target specific evolutionary conserved pathways, there are growing concerns over their potential deleterious effects to the environment and specifically to aquatic organisms, namely in early life-stages. In this context, the long-term effects of exposure of juvenile meagre Argyrosomus regius to three different pharmaceuticals were investigated. Read More

MedEdPORTAL 2019 10 25;15:10846. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine.

Introduction: Bupropion is a commonly used antidepressant, and overdose can lead to both neurologic and cardiovascular toxicity, including agitation, seizure, tachycardia, QT and QRS prolongation, and rhythm disturbances.

Methods: We developed this simulation case for attendings, fellows, nurse practitioners, and nurses in the pediatric emergency department (ED). The scenario involved a 13-year-old male presenting to the ED with altered mental status and a generalized tonic-clonic seizure shortly after arrival. Read More

Mini Rev Med Chem 2020 ;20(8):716-724

Changzhou FangYuan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.

Many berberine derivatives have been synthesized for their antibacterial activity in the past years. In order to elucidate their new Structural Activity Relationship (SAR), the recently synthesized berberine derivatives are reviewed. The newly synthesized berberine derivatives are reported in this review with novel modifications on the berberine structure at various positions. Read More

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2020 Feb 1;104(2):180-184. Epub 2020 Jan 1.

Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología Acuática, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental Aplicada (IBBEA), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Melano-macrophage centers (MMCs) are nodular clusters of pigmented macrophages, implicated in homeostasis and destruction and recycling of endogenous and exogenous material. They can increase in size and/or frequency under environmental stress resulting in immunohistological biomarkers of water quality. Fluoxetine (FLX), a commonly prescribed antidepressant, can cause neuroendocrine, behavioral and reproductive alterations in teleost fish. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2020 Mar 30;27(7):7702-7711. Epub 2019 Dec 30.

Department of Statistics, Bitlis Eren University, Faculty of Science, Bitlis, Turkey.

Boron and boron compounds have beneficial biological effects. Lithium metaborate dihydrate (LMBDH) is used in many branches of industry. Despite its wide industrial use, there is limited information about its biological effects on antioxidant defense system and trace element homeostasis. Read More

Bioanalysis 2020 Jan;12(1):35-52

Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China.

Routine therapeutic drug monitoring is highly recommended since common antidepressant combinations increase the risk of drug-drug interactions or overlapping toxicity. A magnetic solid-phase extraction by using C-functionalized magnetic silica nanoparticles (C-FeO@SiO NPs) as sorbent was proposed for rapid extraction of venlafaxine, paroxetine, fluoxetine, norfluoxetine and sertraline from clinical plasma and urine samples followed by ultra-HPLC-MS/MS assay.  The synthesized C-FeO@SiO NPs showed high magnetization and efficient extraction for the analytes. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Dec 11;20(24). Epub 2019 Dec 11.

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany.

Farber disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder resulting from acid ceramidase deficiency and subsequent ceramide accumulation. No treatments for Farber disease are clinically available, and affected patients have a severely shortened lifespan. We have recently reported a novel acid ceramidase deficiency model that mirrors the human disease closely. Read More

Biol Aujourdhui 2019 12;213(3-4):121-129. Epub 2019 Dec 12.

CNRS ERL 3649 « Neuroplasticité et thérapies des addictions », UMR-S 1124, Université Paris Descartes, 4, avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006 Paris, France.

Psychedelic drugs, often referred to as hallucinogens, are quite distinct from other classes of psychotropic drugs. Although the subjective and behavioral effects they induce are quite dramatic, they possess little addictive potential when compared to nicotine, alcohol or opiates. Since the discovery of ketamine antidepressant effects, there has been growing interest for these molecules. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2020 Mar 22;708:135082. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address:

The worldwide consumption of antidepressants is raising as well as their concentrations in the aquatic environment. This increases the risk of food chain contamination and bioaccumulation in aquatic biota. The aim of this study was to describe a potential risk of sertraline as a pollutant from water environment, wherein rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has been chosen as the test organism, because predatory fish are on the top of the food chain in the aquatic environment. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2020 May 28;58(5):360-367. Epub 2019 Nov 28.

Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Vilazodone is a novel antidepressant approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder. It acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT1A partial agonist. It may lead to a more rapid rise in serotonin concentration in the synaptic cleft than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which could potentially cause more severe toxicity in overdose. Read More

J Clin Psychiatry 2019 11 26;80(6). Epub 2019 Nov 26.

Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

Withdrawal symptoms commonly occur during tapering and/or after discontinuation of antidepressant drugs, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Withdrawal symptomatology does not necessarily subside within a few weeks and may be associated with other manifestations of behavioral toxicity (loss of treatment efficacy, refractoriness, switch into mania/hypomania, or paradoxical reactions). The oppositional model of tolerance provides a pathophysiologic basis for understanding and managing withdrawal syndromes. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Nov 24;20(23). Epub 2019 Nov 24.

Center for Functional Connectomics, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea.

TWIK-related potassium channel-1 (TREK-1) is broadly expressed in the brain and involved in diverse brain diseases, such as seizures, ischemia, and depression. However, the cell type-specific roles of TREK-1 in the brain are largely unknown. Here, we generated a Cre-dependent TREK-1 knockdown (Cd-TREK-1 KD) transgenic mouse containing a gene cassette for Cre-dependent TREK-1 short hairpin ribonucleic acid to regulate the cell type-specific TREK-1 expression. Read More

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2019 11 14;163. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis, Afd. Psychiatrie, Tilburg.

A 60-year-old woman was admitted to the medical psychiatric unit with neurological and psychiatric symptoms. She was being treated with a maintenance dose of lithium for bipolar I disorder. Lithium toxicity and manic state were both considered. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2020 Jan 25;27(2):1941-1955. Epub 2019 Nov 25.

Research Unit of Analysis and Process Applied to the Environment-APAE UR17ES32, Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology Mahdia "ISSAT", University of Monastir, 5100, Mahdia, Tunisia.

In the present study, the occurrence of 40 pharmaceuticals belonging to several therapeutic groups was investigated for the first time in hospital effluent, wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent, and seawater in Mahdia, Tunisia. Forty-six samples were collected within a 6-month sampling period. Pharmaceuticals were analyzed using solid-phase extraction followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Read More

Ther Deliv 2019 11 20;10(11):683-696. Epub 2019 Nov 20.

Faculty of Pharmacy, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Kalabhavan Campus, Vadodara 390001, Gujarat, India.

The manuscript describes the performance of nanoparticles loaded with antidepressant drug for nose-to-brain drug delivery. Poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid-loaded nanoparticles of agomelatine were prepared by nanoprecipitation method using poloxamer 407 as stabilizer. The process parameters were optimized using factorial design. Read More

Aquat Toxicol 2020 Jan 1;218:105337. Epub 2019 Nov 1.

Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea. Electronic address:

To understand effects of two widely used antidepressant on the antioxidant defense mechanism in the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus, we assessed acute toxicity and measured population growth, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, glutathione (GSH) levels, and antioxidant enzymatic activities (GST, GR, and SOD) in response to fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLX) and sertraline hydrochloride (SER). The no observed effect concentration-24 h of fluoxetine and sertraline were 1000 μg/L and 450 μg/L, respectively, whereas the median lethal concentration (LC50)-24 h of fluoxetine and sertraline were 1560 μg/L and 507 μg/L, respectively. Both fluoxetine and sertraline caused significant reduction (P < 0. Read More

Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2020 Mar 13;229:108670. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha Street, Warsaw PL-02097, Poland.

Antidepressants have been detected in surface waters worldwide at ng-μg/L concentration. These compounds can exert adverse effects on fish even at low levels. But, all previous analyses have concentrated on adult fish. Read More

J Med Toxicol 2020 Jan 11;16(1):6-11. Epub 2019 Nov 11.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Hamad General Hospital & Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar.

Background: Bupropion is a unique class of antidepressant. In overdose, it is associated with tachycardia, altered mental status, and a dose-dependent risk of seizures, which can be delayed. Despite being a common medication, there is a paucity of data comparing toxicity in younger versus older children with bupropion exposures. Read More

Water Res 2020 Feb 23;169:115219. Epub 2019 Oct 23.

Laboratori d'Electroquímica dels Materials i del Medi Ambient, Departament de Química Física, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1-11, 08028, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address:

This work reports the first investigation on the use of EDDS as chelating agent in photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) treatment of water at near-neutral pH. As a case study, the removal of the antidepressant fluoxetine was optimized, using an electrochemical cell composed of an IrO-based anode an air-diffusion cathode for in-situ HO production. Electrolytic trials at constant current were made in ultrapure water with different electrolytes, as well as in urban wastewater (secondary effluent) at pH 7. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2020 Mar 2;249:112373. Epub 2019 Nov 2.

Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Etiler, 06330, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: In Turkish folk medicine, infusions and decoctions prepared from the flowers, fruits and aerial parts of Centaurea kurdica Reichardt (Asteraceae) are used as sedative and antidepressant-like effects of various sedative plants have been identified in many studies. The present study was designed to evaluate the antidepressant activity of this plant.

Materials And Methods: n-Hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and methanol (MeOH) extracts were prepared from the branches with leaves and also flowers of the plant. Read More

J Clin Psychopharmacol 2019 Nov/Dec;39(6):628-633

Oregon Poison Center.

Background: Serotonin toxicity is a common cause of drug-induced altered mental status. However, data on the causes of serotonin toxicity, symptomatology, complications, and rate of antidotal treatment are limited.

Methods: This study evaluated cases of serotonin toxicity in the ToxIC registry, an international database of prospectively collected cases seen by medical toxicologists. Read More

Environ Pollut 2020 Jan 23;256:113431. Epub 2019 Oct 23.

Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address:

Sertraline is an antidepressant drug that has been frequently reported in the aquatic environment and biota. While the research has mostly dealt with its occurrence and toxicity, there is a lack of information pertaining to its environmental transformation. The present study aimed to fill in these gaps by giving an insight into mechanisms of sertraline phototransformation in surface waters, which was recognized as the main transformation pathway for this contaminant. Read More

J Pediatr Intensive Care 2019 Dec 25;8(4):242-246. Epub 2019 Jul 25.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital/Miller School of Medicine, Miami, United States.

Bupropion overdose in the pediatric setting poses significant potential for toxicity. We present the case of a 15-year-old female patient presenting with intentional bupropion overdose resulting in generalized tonic-clonic seizures, severe acidosis, vomiting, and tachycardia after ingestion of between 1,650 to 9,000 mg (24-133 mg/kg) of bupropion. The patient was admitted to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) where toxicity was resolved promptly following administration of intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) infusion. Read More

J Neuroinflammation 2019 Oct 31;16(1):201. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 981-8558, Japan.

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including those with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, have higher rates of psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety; however, the mechanism of psychiatric disorder development remains unclear. Mice with IBD induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water exhibit depressive-like behavior. The presence of Lactobacillus in the gut microbiota is associated with major depressive disorder. Read More