Prenatal exposure to the fluoride containing psychiatric drug fluoxetine and anti-oxidative alterations in the neonatal rat brain

Fluoride is a key ingredient of many psychiatric drugs like fluoxetine (Prozac^®, Fluoxetine^®). Pregnant women frequently use this drug as they suffer from depression and anxiety disorders during this period. Fluoxetine is able to reach the fetus through the placenta and passes to the newborn through milk. In the present study, female Wistar rats were treated with 5, 10, and 20 mg/L fluoxetine (containing 94% fluorides) from pregnancy day 10 to day 20. After delivery, the levels of the enzymatic antioxidants in the brain of their offspring at postnatal day 2 were measured. The results showed that, in all fluoxetine exposed groups compared with the control group, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.01) in the glutathione, catalase, glutathione S-transferases and potassium and a non- significant increase (P > 0.05) in the activity of malondialdehyde and creatine kinase. The results suggest that fluoxetine may be a developmental neurotoxicant due to presence of fluoride hence must be used carefully during pregnancy.