Liver damage caused by psychopharmaceuticals

Liver plays a central role in drug metabolism, particularly in uptake, biotransformation and excretion of metabolites. Among these metabolic steps biotransformation represents the most critical factor in drug-induced liver damage, especially when hepatic protective mechanisms, such as the tripeptide glutathione (GSH), are decreased thereby predisposing to lipid peroxidation of biological membranes. The authors focus on the prevalence of hepatic damage in a population of patients chronically treated with psychotropic drugs and divided according to the therapeutic schedule and the type of drug. It is shown that the liver damage induced by psychopharmacologic treatment correlates in a group of 15 patients with a significant decrease of hepatic glutathione.