Fluoxetin Upregulates Connexin 43 Expression in Astrocyte

Mostafavi, Hossein; Khaksarian, Mojtaba; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi; Hassanzadeh, Gholamreza; Soleimani, Masoud; Eftekhari, Sanaz; Soleimani, Mansooreh; Mousavizadeh, Kazem; Hadjighassem, Mahmoud Reza

Volume 5, Issue 1 (Winter 2014 -- 2014) BCN 2014, 5(1): 74-79 | Back to browse issues page

PMCID: 27567941

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Mostafavi H, Khaksarian M, Joghataei M T, Hassanzadeh G, Soleimani M, Eftekhari S, et al . Fluoxetin Upregulates Connexin 43 Expression in Astrocyte. BCN 2014; 5 (1) :74-79
URL: http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-471-en.html

Fluoxetin Upregulates Connexin 43 Expression in Astrocyte

Hossein Mostafavi¹

, Mojtaba Khaksarian²

, Mohammad Taghi Joghataei¹

, Gholamreza Hassanzadeh³

, Masoud Soleimani⁴

, Sanaz Eftekhari²

, Mansooreh Soleimani⁴

, Kazem Mousavizadeh²

, Mahmoud Reza Hadjighassem ^*¹

1- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Division of Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4- Department of Hematology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract:

Introduction: 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 &mug/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.

Discussion: 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.

Keywords: Astrocyte, Fluoxetine, cAMP, Connexin-43, Aquaporin-4.

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Type of Study: Original | Subject: Behavioral Neuroscience
Received: 2013/04/22 | Accepted: 2013/06/15 | Published: 2014/01/1

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