title: Increased aggression, improved spatial memory, and reduced anxiety-like behaviour in adult male mice exposed to fluoxetine early in life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fluoxetine (Flx; brand names Prozac, Sarafem, Rapiflux), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is prescribed for the treatment of depression in pregnant women; however, this commonly prescribed medication could affect fetal brain development as Flx crosses the placenta. The available data concerning the anatomical and behavioural consequences of perinatal exposure to Flx during early development on adult behaviour are limited and often contradictory.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To further delineate the long-term behavioural effects of altering 5-HT during development, we examined the effects of perinatal Flx exposure on the behaviour of male mice as adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dams were treated with approximately 25 mg/kg/day of Flx from embryonic day 15 to postnatal day 12, and the behaviour of the adult offspring was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that perinatal Flx exposure leads to increased aggression, improved spatial memory, and reduced anxiety-like behaviour. This exposure did not cause memory deficits, changes in sensory processing, or changes in gross motor function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that while perinatal exposure to Flx may have long-term effects on adult behaviour, these effects appear limited and not necessarily detrimental.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiryanova
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Dyck
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors