Implications Of The Thesis How Flx Affect Neural...

In this study, one of the most common prescribed SSRIs, FLX will be utilized. SSRIs block the reuptake of 5-HT thereby increasing the extracellular concentration of 5-HT in the synaptic cleft available thereby altering normal synaptic and neural function. Due to the fact that monoamines and monoamine metabolism is essential and obligatory for normal neural development this proposal will focus on how FLX affect neural development using the following approaches. Clutches of embryos will be staged according to Townsend and Stewart [TS 1-15; 1 = newly laid egg, 15 = hatching] (67). FLX will be dissolved in culture water (40% DDW and 60% tap water) at different concentrations [(experimental embryo cultures- EEC) 0.10  µM, 0.20  µM, 100  µM,†¦show more content†¦Hensler (2002) demonstrated in rats that were chronically injected (ip) with FLX showed a decrease 5-HT1A expression in the raphe nuclei. Further, 5-HT2B receptors have been shown to be involved in brain development (Lin et al., 2004) particularly in migrating cranial neural crest cells in the mouse (Choi et al., 1997). Moiseiwitsh and Lauder (1995) also showed that 5-HT has a dose-dependent effect on cranial neural crest migration, suggesting that neural crest migration is disrupted at high concentrations. Silva et al. (2010) demonstrated that postnatal FLX treatment in rats decreased the number of serotonin and serotonergic terminals in the dorsal raphe nuclei; sugge sting neuroplasticity dysfunction causes impaired development of the serotonergic system. The c-Fos-immunoreactivity (c-Fos-IR), in response to cellular intra- or extracellular signals, is a useful tool and has been used by many scientists to detect specific brain regions that regulate neurotransmissions. Immunohistochemistry will also be undertaken using c-Fos primary antisera to determine c-Fos during hypothalamic development. Changes in c-Fos-IR have been demonstrated in animals and in vitro studies after a chronic or acute FLX treatment. For example, acute treatment of rats with antidepressants displayed increased c-Fos expression in 59 of 64 brain structures. Interestingly, FLX did not induce c-Fos expression in the raphe nuclei but significant upregulation of