Abstract:

Abstract:Objective To observe the effect of fluoxetine on phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein-2 (pMAP-2) expression in amygdala of depression model rats,and to provide the experimental basis for the study of efficacy mechanism of fluoxetine.Methods Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group,model group and fluoxetine group.The depression animal model was produced by giving the rats chronic unpredicted mild stress.The depressional behavior was examined using sucrose preference test,tail-suspension test and Morris water maze.The expressions of pMAP-2 protein and mRNA were detected using Western blotting and RT-PCR,respectively.Results The changes in body weight (%) and percentage of sucrose preference of rats in model group and fluoxetine group were significantly lower,while the tail-suspension immobility and the excape latency time were higher than those in control group (P<0.05).These indexes were reversed by fluoxetine.The expressions of  pMAP-2 protein and mRNA in model group and fluoxetine group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05),while the indexes were decreased after treatment with fluoxetine (P<0.05).Conclusion Fluoxetine can  reverse the expression increasing of pMAP-2 in amygdala neurons of depression model rats.

Key words: depression, amygdala, microtubule-associated protein, fluoxetine