Effect of fluoxetine on maximal electroshock seizures in mice:: Acute vs chronic administration

There are no definite reports regarding the effects of chronic fluoxetine on animal models of epilepsy. Since chronically administered fluoxetine, in comparison to acutely administered fluoxetine has different effects on CNS, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of acute and chronic fluoxetine pretreatment, on a median anticonvulsant dose (ED50) of phenytoin in male ICR albino mice. Additionally, the effects of fluoxetine pretreatment on median convulsive current (CC50) in the presence and absence of phenytoin were investigated and results were compared. The maximal electroshock seizure (MES) test was used to estimate the ED50 of phenytoin. The electroshock threshold test was used to estimate CC50. ED50 and CC50 values were calculated by probit analysis. The effects of the chronic and acute fluoxetine groups on the ED50 of phenytoin were significantly different (P < 0.05), and on CC50 this difference was not statistically significant. Chronic fluoxetine insignificantly increased the ED50 of phenytoin and decreased the CC50 while acute fluoxetine decreased the ED50 of phenytoin and increased the CC50. Our results indicate that chronic fluoxetine does not have an antiepileptic property and it may have dubious proconvulsant properties, contrary to acute fluoxetine. (C) 1999 Academic Press.