title: Fluoxetin upregulates connexin 43 expression in astrocyte.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have shown that astrocytes play major roles in normal and disease condition of the central nervous system including multiple sclerosis (MS). Molecular target therapy studies in MS have revealed that connexin-43 (Cx43) and Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) contents of astrocytes undergo expression alteration. Fluoxetine had some effects in MS patients unrelated to its known antidepressant effects. Some of fluoxetine effects were attributed to its capability of cAMP signaling pathway stimulation. This study aimed to investigate possible acute effects of fluoxetine on Cx43 and AQP4 expression in astrocyte.
  
  
  METHODS
  Astrocytoma cells were treated for 24 hours with fluoxetine (10 and 20 µg/ml) with or without adenyl cyclase (AC) and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibition. Cx43 expression at both mRNA and protein levels and AQP4 expression at mRNA level were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acquired results showed that fluoxetine with and without AC and PKA inhibition resulted in Cx43 up-regulation both in mRNA and protein levels, whereas AQP4 expression have not changed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, data showed that fluoxetine alone and in the absence of serotonin acutely up-regulated Cx43 expression in astrocytes that can be assumed in molecular target therapy of MS patients. It seems that cAMP involvement in fluoxetine effects need more researches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Division of Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Department, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mostafavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Department, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Physiology, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khaksarian
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Division of Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Joghataei
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hassanzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Division of Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sanaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eftekhari
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansooreh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mousavizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Division of Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Neuroscience Institute, Brain and Spinal cord Injury Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hadjighassem
keywords: Aquaporin-4; Astrocyte; Connexin-43; Fluoxetine; cAMP