Tribal Colleges And University Project - Native American Internships

The study investigated the use of lipid nanoemulsions, called squarticles, as a novel detoxification therapy for tricyclic antidepressant overdose, specifically amitriptyline. In animal models, anionic squarticles demonstrated a significant ability to intercept and retain amitriptyline, increasing its plasma concentration by 2.5-fold and reducing drug uptake in highly perfused organs. This lipid sink effect helped restore mean arterial pressure and improved the survival rate from 25% to 75% in cases of amitriptyline overdose. The findings suggested that anionic squarticles could effectively mitigate the adverse effects of amitriptyline intoxication, making them a potent antidote.