The determination of possible neurotoxic effects of antidepressants and role of antidepressants in ıntracellular NF-κB on neuronal and glial cells

Depression is a common disease nowadays, but the underlying pathophysiology is not fully understood. The drug used in the treatment of depression are effective on serotonin and noadrenaline re-uptake. However in research about depression, it isn't only about by lack of serotonin and noradrenaline, and antidepressant aren't only to inhibit re-uptake serotonin and noradrenaline. In studies of antidepressant drugs was observed to be apoptotic and proapoptotic effects. In this study, we invastigated potential protective and toxic effect of anti-depressant agents fluoxetine, imipramine, maprotiline on neuronal and glial cells. To invastigate these effect of antidepressant agents we used MTT test to compare viability, fluorescent staining to determine apoptosis rates, DNA fragmentation assay to see DNA breaks and ELISA to measure the level of intracelluler caspase 3, caspase 8, NF-?B and I?B. As a result, fluoxetine increases the level of caspase 3 without changes in intracellular levels of caspase 8; and causese the cell death. But, imipramine and maprotiline increases buth caspase 3 and caspase 8. All of three agents cause the apoptotic cell death. Another parameter that we investigate in our research, level of intracelluler NF-?B increases both neronal and glial cells in subtoxic doses. But imipramine and maprotiline haven't got any effect on intracelluler NF-?B levels in subtoxic doses. Key Words: Antidepressant drugs, neuron, glia, cell culture, apopitozis, MTT, NF-κB