L. Luo, R. Tan
Oct 1, 2001
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Quality indicators
Journal
Acta pharmacologica Sinica
Abstract
AIM To study the effect of fluoxetine on dendrite atrophy of hippocampal neurons in rat depression model. METHODS CMS (chronic mild stress), mimicking human depression, was used as the animal depression model. The neurons shape and numbers of nitric oxide synthase positive cells in the hippocampal subfields were measured by Nissl staining and histochemical staining of NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate)-diaphorase respectively. RESULTS CMS deforms neurons in the hippocampal formation, and fluoxetine can renormalize the deformed neurons by inhibiting the nitric oxide synthase catalyzing the over-production of NO, which lead subsequently to the morphological abnormality in the circumscribed area of brain. CONCLUSION Fluoxetine, an antidepressant, renormalizes dendrite atrophy of hippocampal neurons by inhibiting nitric oxide synthase overexpression in rat chronic mild stress model.