Posted on 12/18/2022 3:40:14 PM PST by ConservativeMind
A study has found that exposure to the common antidepressant Prozac provoked an inflammatory response in human fetal membranes, also known as the amniotic sac.
The effect may reveal an underlying factor in what has been found to be an increased risk of preterm birth among those who use antidepressants during pregnancy—and possible therapeutic targets to reduce that risk.
Research has shown that a common type of antidepressant, known as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI), can increase risks of a pregnant person's water breaking too early and subsequent preterm delivery.
Inflammation in the fetal membranes—the amniotic sac that encloses the fetus and amniotic fluid—is thought to be one cause of preterm premature rupture of membranes. To see if inflammation plays a role in the adverse pregnancy effects of SRIs, Abrahams and her colleagues analyzed the effects of Prozac, also known as fluoxetine, on fetal membranes.
The researchers used samples of human fetal membrane tissue that were donated from uncomplicated pregnancies delivered via cesarean section. They exposed some tissue samples to Prozac and compared them to samples not exposed to the drug.
They found that Prozac increased the activity levels of a molecule called p38-MAPK that mediates inflammation. That molecule, in turn, caused an increase of interleukin 6, a small protein called a cytokine that promotes inflammation.
The researchers then analyzed fetal membrane samples collected from people who had used Prozac during pregnancy, compared them to samples from people who did not use antidepressants, and found they too had elevated levels of active p38-MAPK.
The findings reveal potential targets for treatment.
"There's evidence in other disease models that targeting inflammatory cytokines may be an option," said Abrahams. "So here, anti-interleukin 6 antibodies, for instance, could be worth investing."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
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