Gender-dependent Effects of Fluoxetine on Selected Biochemical Parameters in Guinea Pigs

Gender-related changes in plasma chemistry values were examined in guinea pigs after taking oral fluoxetine hydrochloride (HCl) as a widely prescribed drug for weight reduction and treatment of depressive disorders. Twenty guinea pigs of both sexes were divided into four groups of five animals. For both of the sexes, one group was treated with oral fluoxetine HCl (20 mg/kg/day) and another was used as a control which administered with distilled water. On the last day of the experiment (35th day), blood samples were collected for determining selected plasma biochemical parameters. For lipid profile, increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides were seen in both sexes, along with increases in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in males and decreases of LDL-C in females and atherogenic index in both sexes. The levels of total protein, globulins, urea, and creatinine were increased only in the male guinea pigs that received fluoxetine. Although, the levels of creatine phosphokinase and alanine transaminase decreased in the fluoxetine-treated female guinea pigs compared to control. Other parameters like lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase, albumin, total bilirubin, (in)direct bilirubin, fasting blood sugar, calcium, and phosphorus did not alter following intake of fluoxetine in both sexes. For hormonal profile, testosterone and tetraiodothyronine (T4) in males and T3 and thyroid-stimulating hormone in both sexes did not change in fluoxetine-treated guinea pigs. However, the level of T4 decreased in fluoxetine-treated female group compared with the control group. Fluoxetine treatment resulted in gender-dependent effects. The decrease of T4 in female guinea pigs that received fluoxetine supports that this drug would be a possible endocrine disruptor.