Studies on Fetal response to Prozac Treatment

Abstract

Aim of the work: :A variety of adverse effects are reported post-treatment with Prozac(fluoxetine)especially during pregnancy.The percentage of these changes often reflects increased rates with rising doses. This study aimed to study the possible histopathological and histochemical changes in skin of fetuses maternally treated with Prozac with 3 different doses(0.72&1.44&2.88 mg/kg b.wt.). Material and methods: Mature male and virgin female albino rats of pure strain (Albino rattus norvegicus) ranging from 220-280 gm were used. Males were used only for mating. Pregnant rats were categorized into the following groups: Group (1): control group. Group (2): 10 pregnant rats treated daily with 0.72 mg/kg. b.wt. Prozac (T1) (treatment started one month before pregnancy and continued till day19 of gestation) Group (3): 10 pregnant rats treated daily with 1.44 mg/kg. b.wt. (T2). Group (4):10 pregnant rats treated daily with 2.88 mg/kg. b.wt. Prozac (T3). Pregnant mothers from all groups were sacrificed on day 19 of gestation and small pieces of fetal skin were taken for the histological and histochemical studies. Results: Many histological and histochemical changes were observed in fetal skin of all the treated groups compared with control ones. The severity of these changes increased with increasing the doses. Conclusion: Maternally Prozac treatment caused deleterious changes in the fetal skin, therefore the use of this drug during pregnancy should be under strict precautions and further studies are recommended due to the potential risks to the developing fetuses.