Repeated Ascorbic Acid Administration Alleviates Motor Impairment, Anxiety-Related Behaviors, and Sociability Deficits in Fluoxetine-Treated Juvenile Male Rats

Abstract

Background: The debilitating impact of fluoxetine usage has been established in both animal studies and clinical trials.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative impacts of ascorbic acid against fluoxetine-induced behavioral despair and social deficits in juvenile rats.
Methods: Thirty-two Juvenile male Wistar rats (80-100 grams) were randomly assigned into four groups of eight animals per group (n=8). Group A served as a normal control and had only access to feed and water; groups B and D received Ascorbic acid orally at 10mg/kg. Additionally, groups C and D received fluoxetine at 10mg/kg orally by gavage. The substances were administered five days per week for eight weeks. After the last administration, rats underwent neurobehavioral tests [motor coordination using the catalepsy bar test, anxiety-related behaviors with the elevated plus maze model, and sociability test (three-chamber social interaction paradigm)]. The analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in Windows (version 0.98), followed by a post-hoc test (Tukey HSD) for inter-group comparisons. Results were presented as mean ± standard error of mean (S.E.M). The intergroup significant difference was accepted as p < 0.05.
Results:The feed intake, relative change in body weight, time spent in the open arm, and with the social stimulus results show a statistically significant decrease (p< 0.05) in group C compared to group A. Compared to group C, a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) was observed in group D. In contrast, the catalepsy score, time spent in the closed arm, and in the empty chamber results show a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in group C compared to the control group A. Compared to group C, a statistically significant decrease (p < 0.05) was seen in group D.
Conclusion:The debilitating effects of fluoxetine administration, as confirmed in this study, warrant more rigorous monitoring of its use; further research is needed to establish these effects in humans.