Abstract
This study is focused on psychotropic drugs used in the treatment of bipolar affective disorder (antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants) and their effects on the cell energy metabolism. We suppose that the therapeutic effects of psychotropic drugs are probably related to changes in mitochondrial functions leading to resumption of neuronal plasticity.
According to this hypothesis, we studied in vitro effects of psychotropic drugs on selected parameters of energy metabolism. The activities of electron transport chain complexes and oxygen consumption rate were evaluated.
Mitochondria isolated from pig brains were used as samples. The results of this basic research can be further used in identification of predictors of treatment efficacy, in searching of biomarkers of this disorder and in proposition of measurable parameters suitable for preclinical trials.