Introduction: Tetracyclic antidepressants-mirtazapin is one of antidepressants drug that exhibits both noradrenergic and serotonergic activity. It is commonly used to treat major depressive disorder. The genotoxic effect of mirtazapine has not been examined previously. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of mirtazapine on human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Methods: The genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of mirtazapine on human peripheral lymphocytes were examined by micronucleus (MN) test. The human lymphocytes were treated with 10, 25, 40 and 55 μg/mL concentrations of mirtazapine for 24 and 48 hours treatment periods. Results: MN formation was not significantly induced at 24- and 48-h treatment periods when compared with control but Nuclear division index (NDI) significantly decreased at all concentrations for two treatment periods. Conclusion: Mirtazapine was not genetoxic but was cytotoxic in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. According to this study mirtazapine has cytotoxic effects on human's cells.

Keywords: Mirtazapine, Cytotoxicity, Genetoxicity, Micronucleus, Nuclear division index.

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