Neuropsychobiology. 2025 Oct 20:1-18. doi: 10.1159/000548950. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Depression seriously affects the psychosocial function and quality of life of patients. Among first-line SSRIs, the incidence of neuropsychiatric side effects caused by paroxetine is 4-6 times higher than that caused by citalopram. In this study, a depression model was constructed with Wistar rats to detect the effects of paroxetine and citalopram on nNOS mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and to clarify the possible mechanism of SSRIs’ side effects affecting the neuropsychiatric system. In the hippocampus, nNOS expression was significantly higher in the depression group than in the control group. However, in the prefrontal cortex, the expression of nNOS was significantly lower in the depression group than in the control group. After the addition of the PSD-95/nNOS inhibitor ZL006, nNOS levels decreased significantly in the paroxetine group but did not significantly change in the citalopram group. The mechanisms involved in nNOS expression differed between the paroxetine and citalopram groups. Paroxetine-induced nNOS expression may be related to PSD-95/nNOS.
PMID:41115101 | DOI:10.1159/000548950
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