Effects of fluoxetine on cellular immune response in stressed mice.
We studied the effects of fluoxetine, a non-tricyclic antidepressant drug that selectively inhibits re-uptake of serotonin by presinaptic neurons in the brain, on cellular immune responses in mice exposed to a chronic auditory stressor. The natural killer (NK) cell activity was reduced after 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 days of stress exposure with a partial recovery on days 16 and 20. Daily treatment with fluoxetine partially reversed these adverse effects of stress in a dose-dependent manner. Significant differences appeared when fluoxetine was administered at 2 mg/kg and maximum effect was reached at doses of 5 mg/kg. The capacity of T cells to generate cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) in mixed lymphocyte cultures and in vivo was reduced after 4 days of stress application and this effect was partially reduced when mice were injected with 5 mg/kg of fluoxetine. Nevertheless, in our experiments, fluoxetine did not significantly affect the cellular immunity in unstressed mice. In conclusion, fluoxetine seems to partially recover the adverse effects of chronic stress on cellular immune response.
Núñez
María J
MJ
Neuroimmunology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, C/San Francisco, s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
Balboa
José
J
Rodrigo
Elena
E
Brenlla
Julio
J
González-Peteiro
Mercedes
M
Freire-Garabal
Manuel
M
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D005473:Fluoxetine; D016685:Mitomycin