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Published on: June 17, 2015
Methylphenidate lacks genotoxic effects in mouse peripheral blood erythrocytes
Ana L Zamora-Perez1, Blanca P Lazalde-Ramos, Martha G Sosa-Macías
1Instituto de Investigación en Odontología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. anazamora@gmail.com
Abstract:
Methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin®; Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Basel, Switzerland) has been prescribed to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over 50 years ago. Due to concerns that MPH might induce cytogenetic alterations in children, treatment with this drug has been a controversial issue. In the present study, we assessed the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes (MNEs), micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCEs), and polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) in peripheral blood samples from mice treated with three different doses of MPH (30, 60, or 125 mg/kg). We found no evidence of increased MNEs or MNPCEs, nor did PCEs decline. These results add to the accumulating evidence that MPH does not induce genotoxic or cytotoxic damage.
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