Citalopram and fluoxetine affects blood chemistry, hematology and brain serotonin in Rats

Background: Depression is caused as a result of combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors. Citalopram and fluoxetine are antidepressants which are considered the current standard for depression treatment. There are little or no reports as to whether these antidepressants affect blood chemistry and haematological parameters in humans.Objective: The effects of citalopram and fluoxetine on blood chemistry, hematology and brain serotonin in rats were investigated.Methods: Forty-five Sprague Dawley male albino rats (140.69 ±5.86g) were divided into 3 equal groups. The first group of rats were orally administered 2ml of 0.25mg/ml of citalopram, the second group was administered 2ml of 0.25mg/ml of fluoxetine and the third group was administered 2ml of saline (0.89% NaCl) daily for 4 weeks. The body weights and feed intake of rats were recorded every other day throughout the duration of drug administration. Five rats from each group were sacrificed by cervical dislocation after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of drug administration. Blood was taken intravenously into lithium heparinized tubes and brain excised. Blood chemistry and hematology were determined by auto analyzer, while brain serotonin levels were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Serum levels of creatinine, urea, albumin, protein, glucose and activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine amino transferase (ALT) were determined in rats administered citalopram, fluoxetine and saline. The packed cell volume, white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets of rats administered the respective drugs were determined.Results: There was no significant (P>0.01) difference in the mean body weight of rats administered fluoxetine, citalopram or saline for 2 weeks. There were no significant differences in the hematological parameters of rats. The results of the study showed that citalopram increase the body weight of rats in the third and fourth week and was reduced in fluoxetine administered rats. The drugs also affected brain serotonin level, lipid profile of rats and increased levels of albumin, glucose and activities of liver enzymes; aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase.Conclusion: Data of the study indicate that oral administration of citalopram and fluoxetine in rats for 4 weeks daily affected blood chemistry and do not affect haematological parameters..Keywords: Citalopram, fluoxetine, blood chemistry, hematology, brain serotonin, rat

Profile of cognitive impairment and health status of the elderly in a sub-Saharan African community: relevance to public policy and health service design

Background: There is scanty report on the cognitive impairment and health status of the elderly in the sub-saharan African community.Objective: This study is to investigate the pattern of cognitive impairment and health morbidities among the elderly in a sub-Saharan African community.Methods: A household survey was conducted among 350 elders. They were interviewed with a questionnaire to ascertain their socio-demographic and health status information. Subsequently, the modified Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] was administered to elicit cognitive impairment based on cut-off score ≥13.Results: The mean MMSE score among participants was 20.7(±5.3) and about one-tenth of them 38(10.9%) had cognitive impairment. Of the study sample, 44% reported physical health morbidities; hypertension (23.2%), diabetes mellitus (10%) and visual impairment (5.4%) were the most frequently occurring morbidities. Cognitive impairment was associated with increasing age and most prevalent among the middle olds [70-79 years] (p<0.001), while formal education seems protective (p=0.022). Likewise, those with formal education were more likely to report medical illnesses (p=0.004). Following logistic regression to control for effects of confounders, absence of formal education (Odd Ratio [OR] =0.465; 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] =0.207-1.046) and increasing age ([OR] =6.617; 95%CI= 3.129- 13.993) were independent predictors of impairment in cognitive function.Conclusion: A high burden of cognitive impairment along with health morbidities was prevalent among the elderly; while increasing age and formal education were the identifiable determinants. Evolvement of public policies, health resource planning and service design to address geriatric health issues using age-related prioritization model are advocated. Similarly, the promotion of population literacy is indicated as it seems to have positive, long-lasting socioeconomic as well as health effects into old age. Further research is also justified.Keywords: Africa; Cognitive impairment; Health service; Morbidity; Public polic