Effects of fluoxetine (SSRI) on the urogenital system of albino rats

Abstract

Sexual disorders are the common side effects of SSRI group of antidepressants, although, recently SSRIs have emerged as an effective new treatment modality for premature ejaculation in a dose of 40 mg/day. Some evidences suggest that SSRIs can cause untoward sexual experiences such as changes in sexual desire, sexual performance and sexual satisfaction. Reliable estimates of the incidence and severity of untoward experiences are difficult to obtain, however, in part because patients and physicians may be reluctant to discuss them. Accordingly, estimates of the incidence of untoward sexual experience and performance, cited in product labeling, are likely to underestimate their actual incidence. In patients eurolled in U.S. major depressive disorder, OCD and bulimia nervosa placebo-controlled clinical trials, decreased libido was the only sexual side effect. There are no adequate and well controlled studies examining sexual dysfunction with Fluoxetine treatment. There have been spontaneous reports in women taking Fluoxetine of orgasmic dysfunction, including anorgasmia. Because Fluoxetine is prototype of SSRIs and most commonly used in different doses for different psychiatric disorders such as for depression and phobias in low doses i.e.10 and 20 mg/day but in high doses up to 80 mg/day for OCD and bulimia nervosa. For almost all the psychiatric illnesses the SSRIs are used for long duration. Therefore, the 86 objective of the present study was to deduce the comparative safety of Fluoxetine in acute and subacute therapy and to study the histological changes in various cells of urogenital system of albino rats after intraperitoneal injection of Fluoxetine in different doses. 72 albino rats viere taken for the study which was conducted in 3 phases of 2, 4 and 12 weeks duration. Each phase consisted of 24 rats. These 24 rats were further subdivided into 4 groups of 6 rats each (3 males and 3 females). Group 1 (Control) received intraperitoneal injection of vehicle (normal saline). Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 received 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg/kg of body weight/day intraperitoneal injection of Fluoxetine respectively.