Neonatal fluoxetine exposure delays reflex ontogeny, somatic development and food intake similarly in male and female rats

Serotonin (5-HT) acts as a neuromodulator and plays a critical role in brain development. Changes in 5-HT signaling during the perinatal period can affect neural development and may result in behavioral changes in adulthood. However, further investigations are necessary including both sexes to study possible differences. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of neonatal treatment with fluoxetine on the development of male and female offsprings. The animals were divided into four groups according to sex and treatment. The experimental groups received fluoxetine at 10 mg/kg (1μl/g bw) and the animals of control group received saline solution 0.9% (1μl/g bw) from postnatal days 1-21. In the neonatal period were recorded: reflex ontogeny, somatic development, physical features and food intake. In the postnatal period (until day 31) were recorded: body weight and post-weaning food intake. Chronic administration of fluoxetine in the neonatal period caused a delay in the reflex ontogeny and somatic development, reduction of lactation and post-weaning bodyweight, and post-weaning food intake in rats. No difference was found between the sexes. These changes reaffirm that serotonin plays an important role in regulating the plasticity of the brain during early development period, but without sex differences.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author