The antipsychotic chlorpromazine induces oxidative stress in endothelial cells: an in vitro assessment employing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.

Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is a first-generation antipsychotic that has been widely used to treat an array of neurological conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Treatment of these chronic conditions with CPZ has been linked to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and accumulating evidence supports a link between ROS and chronic and degenerative pathologies, including cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to observe the presence of oxidative stress in porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAE) exposed to different concentrations of CPZ in vitro. CPZ caused morphological alterations in PAE cells, while cytotoxicity and biochemical analyses showed an increase in cell death and the production of lipid peroxidation products associated with oxidative stress, respectively. Finally, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of specific ratios of interest. also revealed an increase in products related to oxidative stress for aldehyde and ketone groups, lipid saturation/unsaturation, and amide groups present in proteins. Collectively, our results indicate that CPZ caused cellular oxidative damage in PAE cells, thus providing insights into CPZ-induced cytotoxicity.