Background and Purpose—Recent clinical observations question that the antidepressant effect of fluoxetine (Prozac) can be explained solely with serotonin reuptake inhibition in the central nervous system. We hypothesized that fluoxetine affects the tone of vessels and thereby modulates cerebral blood flow. Methods—A small branch of rat anterior cerebral artery (195615 mm in diameter at 80 mm Hg...

Previously, we reported that fluoxetine acts on 5-HT2B receptor and induces epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation in astrocytes. Recently, we have found that chronic treatment with fluoxetine regulates Caveolin-1 (Cav-1)/PTEN/PI3K/AKT/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) signaling pathway and glycogen content in primary cultures of astrocytes with bi-phasic concentration depen...

Selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine and sertraline, increase circulating Transforming-Growth-Factor-β1 (TGF-β1) levels in depressed patients, and are currently studied for their neuroprotective properties in Alzheimer's disease. TGF-β1 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that exerts neuroprotective effects against β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced neurodegeneration. In the present work,...

Since herbal supplements are not evaluated for interactions with other drugs, there are concerns about their interactions with conventional drugs, which are mostly used as multiple drug treatment approach. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of long-term use of Ginkgo biloba (GK) extract on the intestinal absorption of orally administered, single doses of fluoxetine and venlafaxine i...

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications are one of the most common treatments for mood disorders. In humans, these medications are taken orally, usually once per day. Unfortunately, administration of antidepressant medications in rodent models is often through injection, oral gavage, or minipump implant, all relatively stressful procedures. The aim of the present study was to investi...

Fluoxetine (Prozac™) is designed to alter human behaviour; however, because many physiological pathways are conserved across vertebrates, this drug may affect the behaviour of fish living in fluoxetine-polluted environments. Although a number of studies have used behaviour to document the sub-lethal effects of fluoxetine, the repeatability of these effects across experiments, across behavioural...

Fluoxetine, an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class, may stimulate prolactin release by pituitary lactotrophs. A 71-year-old woman taking estrogen replacement therapy developed galactorrhea after initiation of fluoxetine for depression and was found to have an elevated prolactin level. Fluoxetine was discontinued with resolution of the patient's galactorrhea and no...

The use of antidepressant treatment during pregnancy is increasing, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most widely prescribed antidepressants in pregnant women. Serotonin plays a role in embryogenesis, and serotonin transporters are expressed in two-cell mouse embryos. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate whether fluoxetine, one of the most prescribed SSRI...

The hippocampal dentate gyrus has been implicated in a neuronal basis of antidepressant action. We have recently shown a distinct form of neuronal plasticity induced by the serotonergic antidepressant fluoxetine, that is, a reversal of maturation of the dentate granule cells in adult mice. This "dematuration" is induced in a large population of dentate neurons and maintained for at least one mo...

We investigated the effects of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on neuroendocrine function and the reproductive axis in female goldfish. Fish were given intraperitoneal injections of fluoxetine twice a week for 14 days, resulting in five injections of 5 microg fluoxetine/g body wt. We measured the monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in additi...