Abstract
Background : An evidence suggests a potential therapeutic target of depressiontoward treating inflammation with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs). However, the efficacy of the combined standard antidepressantwith NSAID treatment still remains uncertain.Objective : To examine the effects of fluoxetine (serotonin reuptake inhibitor) inadjunct with celecoxib (specific COX-2 inhibitor) on depression-likebehavior and inflammation in rats with chronic mild stress (CMS) induceddepression.Methods : The rats were divided into 4 groups: control, CMS, CMS with fluoxetinetreatment (5 mg/kg/d), and CMS with fluoxetine and celecoxib treatment(5 mg/kg/d each). All treatments were continued for 5 weeks. Thedepression-like behavior was examined using forced swimming test.Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis of plasma levelsof cortisol, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosisfactor-α (TNF-α, C-reactive protein (CRP), and an oxidative stressmarker malondialdehyde (MDA).Results : The combined treatment decreased depression-like behavior tothe same extent as fluoxetine treatment alone. However, the adjunctivecelecoxib significantly reversed the effect of fluoxetine in loweringthe plasma cortisol level which implied the aggravation of hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) dysregulation, and also increased bodyweight gain compared with fluoxetine, suggesting a possibility of bodyfluid retention. Both drug treatments showed a comparable degree inlowering the plasma levels of PGE2, TNF-α, CRP and MDA. Nonetheless,fluoxetine showed no significant effect on plasma IL-1βlevel; whereasthe adjunctive celecoxib treatment lowered this proinflammatory cytokineto almost normal.Conclusion : The results suggest that the combined celecoxib treatment shows nosynergistic antidepressant effect to fluoxetine, but may exacerbatethe HPA axis hyperactivation.
DOI
10.58837/CHULA.CMJ.62.4.2
First Page
653
Last Page
665
Recommended Citation
Trongtorsak, Petcharat; Olankijanunt, Wanida; Trongtorsak, Angkawipa; and Intamaso, Uraiwan
(2018)
"Antidepressant and anti-inflammatory effects of a combined fluoxetine and celecoxib treatment in a rat model of depression,"
Chulalongkorn Medical Journal: Vol. 62:
Iss.
4, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58837/CHULA.CMJ.62.4.2
Available at:
https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/clmjournal/vol62/iss4/3
