TY - JOUR
T1 - Fluoxetine administration to pregnant rats increases anxiety-related behavior in the offspring
AU - Olivier, J.D.
AU - Valles Sanchez, A.
AU - van Heesch, F.
AU - Afrasiab-Middelman, A.
AU - Roelofs, J.J.P.M.
AU - Jonkers, M.
AU - Peeters, E. J.
AU - Korte-Bouws, G.A.H.
AU - Dederen, J. P.
AU - Kiliaan, A. J.
AU - Martens, GJ.
AU - Schubert, D.
AU - Homberg, J.R.
PY - 2011/1/1
Y1 - 2011/1/1
N2 - Fluoxetine (ProzacA (R)) is the most frequently prescribed drug to battle depression in pregnant women, but its safety in the unborn child has not yet been established. Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, crosses the placenta, leading to increased extracellular serotonin levels and potentially neurodevelopmental changes in the fetus. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the long-term consequences of prenatal fluoxetine in rats. Pregnant rats were injected daily with 12 mg/kg fluoxetine or vehicle from gestational day 11 until birth, and the behavior of the offspring was monitored. Plasma fluoxetine transfer from mother to pup was 83%, and high levels of fluoxetine (13.0 mu g/g) were detected in the pup brain 5 h after the last injection. Fluoxetine-treated dams gave birth to litters 15% smaller than usual and to pups of reduced weight (until postnatal day 7). Furthermore, prenatal fluoxetine exposure significantly increased anxiety in the novelty-suppressed feeding test, the footshock-induced conditioned place aversion test, and the elevated plus maze test (following footshock pre-exposure) during adulthood, and also significantly decreased components of social play behavior at 4 weeks of age, and a strong tendency for increased self-grooming and making less contact in adults. Behavioral despair, anhedonia, and sexual behavior were not different between treatment groups. Finally, the hypothermic response to the 5-HT1A agonist flesinoxan was observed at a lower dose in prenatally fluoxetine-exposed rats than in controls. Prenatal fluoxetine exposure in rats leads to detrimental behavioral outcomes in later life, which may partly be due to altered 5-HT1A receptor signaling.
AB - Fluoxetine (ProzacA (R)) is the most frequently prescribed drug to battle depression in pregnant women, but its safety in the unborn child has not yet been established. Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, crosses the placenta, leading to increased extracellular serotonin levels and potentially neurodevelopmental changes in the fetus. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the long-term consequences of prenatal fluoxetine in rats. Pregnant rats were injected daily with 12 mg/kg fluoxetine or vehicle from gestational day 11 until birth, and the behavior of the offspring was monitored. Plasma fluoxetine transfer from mother to pup was 83%, and high levels of fluoxetine (13.0 mu g/g) were detected in the pup brain 5 h after the last injection. Fluoxetine-treated dams gave birth to litters 15% smaller than usual and to pups of reduced weight (until postnatal day 7). Furthermore, prenatal fluoxetine exposure significantly increased anxiety in the novelty-suppressed feeding test, the footshock-induced conditioned place aversion test, and the elevated plus maze test (following footshock pre-exposure) during adulthood, and also significantly decreased components of social play behavior at 4 weeks of age, and a strong tendency for increased self-grooming and making less contact in adults. Behavioral despair, anhedonia, and sexual behavior were not different between treatment groups. Finally, the hypothermic response to the 5-HT1A agonist flesinoxan was observed at a lower dose in prenatally fluoxetine-exposed rats than in controls. Prenatal fluoxetine exposure in rats leads to detrimental behavioral outcomes in later life, which may partly be due to altered 5-HT1A receptor signaling.
U2 - 10.1007/s00213-011-2299-z
DO - 10.1007/s00213-011-2299-z
M3 - Article
SN - 0033-3158
VL - 217
SP - 419
EP - 432
JO - Psychopharmacology
JF - Psychopharmacology
IS - 3
ER -