Medications used to treat depression and anxiety may influence reproductive health in model organisms, as reported by Northwestern University.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a widely used class for addressing depressive symptoms. They work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain’s synaptic gaps, which can help improve mood for many patients.
Research led by Ilya Ruvinsky and colleagues shows that prior work found male pheromones to slow aging in the eggs of female roundworms. When female worms detected male pheromones, their resources shifted toward reproductive effort at the expense of overall health. Over time, the team linked this shift to serotonin signaling, and the current study puts that idea to the test. The experiments focused mainly on Prozac, with additional tests using citalopram and zimelidine.
Exposure to these antidepressants appeared to reduce fetal death rates by more than half and to decrease chromosomal abnormalities among surviving offspring by more than half as well. Under microscopic examination, the eggs appeared younger and more robust, round and plump rather than small and deformed as seen in older females. A comparable outcome was observed in an experiment conducted with fruit flies.
The researchers hope their findings could broaden the window for fertility in women who face challenges in producing healthy children later in life.
Ancient scientists described a new type of brain activity observed in the final stages of life.”