THE EFFECT OF SILYMARIN ON PLASMA-LEVELS OF MALON-DIALDEHYDE IN PATIENTS RECEIVING LONG-TERM TREATMENT WITH PSYCHOTROPIC-DRUGS

The efficacy of the antioxidant silymarin in preventing psychotropic d rug-induced hepatic damage was evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-co ntrolled study. Sixty patients receiving chronic psychotropic drug the rapy were randomly divided into four groups and were treated for 90 da ys with silymarin or placebo as follows: group IA-treatment with psych otropic drugs and silymarin, 800 mg/d; group IB-treatment with psychot ropic drugs and placebo; group IIA-suspension of psychotropic drugs pl us treatment with silymarin, 800 mg/d; and group IIB-suspension of psy chotropic drugs plus treatment with placebo. Serum levels of malon-dia ldehyde (the end product of the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty aci ds) and the indices of hepatocellular function were assessed in each p atient at baseline (day 0), on days 15, 30, 60, and 90, and 1 month af ter the completion of treatment. Our data show that silymarin, when us ed at submaximal doses, reduces the lipoperoxidative hepatic damage th at occurs during treatment with butyrophenones or phenothiazines. The study results also suggest that increased lipoperoxidation may contrib ute to psychotropic drug-induced hepatotoxicity.