Chlorpromazine bactericidal effect

In 1979, Jette E. Kristiansen of Copenhagen, Denmark, performed extensive experiments to elaborate the effect of chlorpromazine on the permeability of the bacterial cell wall [55]. In vitro experiments were carried out with Staphylococcus aureus under the influence of chlorpromazine. Depigmentation and bacteriostatic/bactericidal effects of chlorpromazine on the microorganisms were observed. It has been shown that concentrations of chlorpromazine near the bacteriostatic value, in combination with bacterial haemolysins, could alter erythrocyte membranes of horse and rabbit blood in such a way that they become resistant to haemolysis. It was further realized that chlorpromazine in bacteriostatic concentration probably changed the transport of potassium through the bacterial membrane in the same manner as described for mammalian muscle tissue [54],... 

Molnar et al. [69] studied antibacterial effect and plasmid curing property of several phenothaizines and tried to correlate these functions with respect to their chemical structure. They observed that diethazine, amitriptyline, and impipramine showed bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect on different bacteria. Chlorpromazine sulfoxide and fluorescein were ineffective even at 1000 Ag/ml. The antibacterial compounds deleted at 40-70% frequency the F lac-t- plasmid of Escherichia coli K12 Le-140. Similar plasmid elimination potentiality by phenothiazines was reported by the same group of authors in 1982 [72],... 

Figure 4.18 Bactericidal effect of chlorpromazine. From Molnar et al [153] with permission.

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