title: Escitalopram affects spexin expression in the rat hypothalamus, hippocampus and striatum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spexin (SPX) is a recently discovered neuropeptide that exhibits a large spectrum of central and peripheral regulatory activity, especially when considered as a potent anorexigenic factor. It has already been proven that antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), can modulate peptidergic signaling in various brain structures. Despite these findings, there is so far no information regarding the influence of treatment with the SSRI antidepressant escitalopram on brain SPX expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this current study we measured SPX mRNA and protein expression in the selected brain structures (hypothalamus, hippocampus and striatum) of rats chronically treated with a 10mg/kg dose of escitalopram using quantitative Real-Time PCR and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Strikingly, long-term (4 week) drug treatment led to the downregulation of SPX expression in the rat hypothalamus. This supports the hypothesis that SPX may be involved in the hypothalamic serotonin-dependent actions of SSRI antidepressants and possibly also in the central mechanism of body mass increase. Conversely, SPX expression increased in the hippocampus and striatum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of the effects of a neuropsychiatric medication on SPX expression in animal brain. Our findings shed a new light on the pharmacology of antidepressants and may contribute to a better understanding of the alternative mechanisms responsible for antidepressant action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland. Electronic address: apalasz@sum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pałasz
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suszka-Świtek
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Filipczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bogus
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rojczyk
authors.affiliation: Manchester Immunology Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9PT, UK; Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Worthington
authors.affiliation: Department and Clinic of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Ziolowa 45/47, Katowice 40-635, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krzystanek
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiaderkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; C550448:SPX protein, rat
keywords: Brain; Escitalopram; Neuropeptides; SSRI; Spexin