Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0018799 (heart disease)
 34,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Eight patients had cardiac manifestations that were life-threatening in five while taking psychotropic drugs, either phenothiazines or tricyclic antidepressants. Although most patients were receiving several drugs, Mellaril (thioridazine) appeared to be responsible for five cases of ventricular tachycardia, one of which was fatal in a 35 year old woman. Supraventricular tachycardia developed in one patient receiving Thorazine (chlorpromazine). Aventyl (nortriptyline) and Elavil (amitriptyline) each produced left bundle branch block in a 73 year old woman. Electrocardiographic T and U wave abnormalities were present in most patients. The ventricular arrhythmias responded to intravenous administration of lidocaine and to direct current electric shock; ventricular pacing was required in some instances and intravenous administration of propranolol combined with ventricular pacing in one. The tachyarrhythmias generally subsided within 48 hours after administration of the drugs was stopped. Five of the eight patients were 50 years of age or younger; only one clearly had antecedent heart disease. Major cardiac arrhythmias are a potential hazard in patients without heart disease who are receiving customary therapeutic doses of psychotropic drugs. A prospective clinical trial is suggested to quantify the risk of cardiac complications to patients receiving phenothiazines or tricyclic antidepressant drugs.
 ...
PMID:Electrocardiographic changes and cardiac arrhythmias in patients receiving psychotropic drugs. 0 4

Neuroleptics have been used to help control agitation, restlessness, and hostility in patients with traumatic brain injury. However, there are many reported side-effects with the use of neuroleptics after brain injury, including memory and other cognitive impairments, as well as slowed neural recovery. Alpha-1 adrenergic blockade with resultant hypotensive and sedating effects has also been reported. This is a case report of a 70-year-old gentleman with traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Thioridazine was used to control severe behavioural problems but had to be discontinued secondary to marked hypotension. This case illustrates the need for awareness of the significant alpha-1 receptor interaction of some neuroleptics, especially in the elderly population with pre-existing heart disease.
 ...
PMID:Hypotensive effects of thioridazine in an elderly patient with traumatic brain injury. 784 93

Trypanosoma cruzi trypanothione reductase is an enzyme that has been identified as a potential target for chemotherapy. Thioridazine inhibits it and prevented cardiopathy in mice infected with T. cruzi Tulahuen strain. As not all T. cruzi strains respond to treatment in the same way, an isolate from a chronic patient (SGO Z12) was used; parasitaemias were studied along with, survival, serology, electrocardiography, histology and cardiac beta receptor function. Parasitaemia in thioridazine (80 mg/(kg day) for 3 days) treated mice was less and lasted for a shorter period (P < 0.01), there were reduced electrocardiographic and histological alterations and significantly improved survival (80% of non-treated died). Treated mice had lower receptor affinity and higher density as a compensatory mechanism, modifying the course of T. cruzi infection (SGO Z12 isolate) and preventing the consequent cardiopathy.
 ...
PMID:Thioridazine treatment prevents cardiopathy in Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice. 1519 37