Effects of quetiapine, risperidone, 9-hydroxyrisperidone and ziprasidone on the survival of human neuronal and immune cells in vitro

Because there are reports on cytotoxic and cytoprotective effects of antipsychotics, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the impacts of different concentrations (1.6—50 μg/mL) of atypical antipsychotics on the survival of human neuronal (neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y) and immune (monocytic U-937) cells and on energy metabolism (ATP level after the incubation with antipsychotics in the concentration of 25 μg/mL). Statistical analysis showed that incubation for 24 h with the antipsychotics quetiapine, risperidone, 9-hydroxyrisperidone and ziprasidone led to a significantly enhanced cell survival in both cell lines in the lower concentrations. Higher concentrations exerted in part cytotoxic effects with the exception of quetiapine, but therapeutically relevant concentrations of the drugs were not cytotoxic in our experiments. Measurement of ATP contents in the neuronal cell line showed significantly increased levels after a 24-h treatment with 25 μg/mL risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone. The other substances produced no effects. Our results show that the antipsychotic substances under investigation exert concentration-dependent effects on cell survival in both cell lines examined.