Antidepressant Fluoxetine Does Not Appear to Interfere With Key Translational Parameters in the Rat Adjuvant-induced Arthritis Model.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the analgesic effects of fluoxetine on Lewis rats of both sexes in the adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rat model. In humans, chronic pain syndromes typical of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) co-exist with depression which is often treated with fluoxetine antidepressant known to have antinociceptive effects. The experiment was terminated on day 26, after seven days of oral treatment (days 19-25) with fluoxetine and indomethacin. The effects of treatments were assessed on the final day of the study through measuring body weight, serum concentrations of a1-acid glycoprotein, visual arthritis assessment and post mortem histopathology assessment. Statistically significant difference was determined in the body weight of male subjects, with indomethacin-treated animals putting on significantly more weight than the vehicle and fluoxetine-treated counterparts. No differences were found between the different treatment groups in other study assessments. The present study did not provide support for analgesic effects of fluoxetine aimed at reducing the severity of the AIA model.