Effects of prenatal exposure to fluoxetine on circadian rhythmicity in the locomotor activity and neuropeptide Y and 5-HT expression in male and female adult Wistar rats.

Serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine, are the most prescribed antidepressant for maternal depression. In this sense, it exposes mothers and the brains of infants to increased modulatory and trophic effects of serotonergic neurotransmission. 5-HT promotes essential brain changes throughout its development, which include neuron migration, differentiation and organisation of neural circuitries related to emotional, cognitive and circadian behavior. Early exposure to the SSRIs induces long-term effects on behavioral and neural serotonergic signalisation. We have aimed to evaluate the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity and the neurochemical content, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and 5-HT in three brain areas: intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and raphe nuclei (RN), at two zeitgebers (ZT6 and ZT18), in male and female rat's offspring early exposed (developmental period GD13-GD21) to fluoxetine (20 mg/kg). First, we have conducted daily records of the locomotor activity rhythm using activity sensors coupled to individual cages over 4 weeks. We have lastly evaluated the immunoreactivity of NPY in both SCN and IGL, as well the 5-HT expression in the dorsal and medial RN. In summary, our results showed that (1) prenatal fluoxetine affects phase entrainment of the rest/activity rhythm at ZT6 and ZT18, more in male than female specimens, and (2) modulates the NPY and 5-HT expression. Here, we show male rats are more susceptible to phase entrainment and the NPY and 5-HT misexpression compared to female ones. The sex differences induced by early exposure to fluoxetine in both the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity and the neurochemical expression into SCN, IGL and midbrain raphe are an important highlight in the present work. Thus, our results may help to improve the knowledge on neurobiological mechanisms of circadian rhythms and are relevant to understanding the "broken brains" and behavioral abnormalities of offspring early exposed to antidepressants.