Abstract
The present study investigated the consequences of prenatal exposure to the 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin; 5-HT) uptake inhibitor fluoxetine on central 5-HT2A/2C receptors and receptor-mediated function in male and female progeny. Pregnant rats were administered saline or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg s.c.) daily from gestational day 13 through 20. All litters were fostered to non-treated lactating dams. Fluoxetine did not alter weight gain during pregnancy but did significantly decrease progeny weight at birth (-8%) and at postnatal day (PD) 70 (-14%). Progeny were tested at PD28 (males and females) and PD70 (males) by measuring: 1) (+/-)-[125I]4-iodo,2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine ([125I]DOI)-labeled 5-HT2A/2C receptors; 2) [3H]paroxetine-labeled 5-HT uptake sites; and 3) the stimulation of adrenocorticotropin, corticosterone and renin after a single injection of the 5-HT2A/2C agonist DOI (2 mg/kg s.c.) to provide an index of 5-HT2A/2C receptor function. At PD28, neither 5-HT2A/2C receptor density nor 5-HT2A/2C receptor-mediated endocrine responses were altered by prenatal exposure to fluoxetine. In contrast, at PD70, the maximal density of hypothalamic 5-HT2A/2C receptors was reduced significantly (-35%) in male progeny of fluoxetine-treated dams. Consistent with the reduction of 5-HT2A/2C receptors, the adrenocorticotropin response to DOI was attenuated markedly and selectively (-58%; P < .05) in PD70 progeny following prenatal exposure to fluoxetine. Basal levels of all hormones measured were unaffected by prenatal fluoxetine. Likewise, fluoxetine did not alter the number of hypothalamic 5-HT uptake sites or the binding of [125I]DOI to cortical 5-HT2A/2C receptors.
JPET articles become freely available 12 months after publication, and remain freely available for 5 years.Non-open access articles that fall outside this five year window are available only to institutional subscribers and current ASPET members, or through the article purchase feature at the bottom of the page.
|