Abstract
Background and Objective: Depression during gestation destructively affects fetal development. Fluoxetine (Prozac) as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) is used for handling of maternal despair. Anti-depressants cross the placenta and are transported to the fetus. This study aimed to determine the effects of fluoxetine on histopathological and histochemical changes in fetal heart tissue maternally treated with Fluoxetine. Materials and Methods: Forty pregnant rats were categorized into the following groups: Control group, group of 10 pregnant rats treated daily with 0.72 mg kg(-1) b.wt. Fluoxetine (treatment started one month before pregnancy and continued till end of gestation), group of 10 pregnant rats treated daily with 1.44 mg kg(-1) b.wt. Fluoxetine (treatment started from day zero till day 20 of pregnancy), group of 10 pregnant rats treated daily with 2.88 mg kg(-1) b.wt. Fluoxetine (treatment started from day zero till day 20 of pregnancy). Pregnant mothers were sacrificed on day 19 of gestation and small samples of fetal heart were taken for the histological and histochemical studies. Results: Many histological and histochemical alternations were observed in fetal heart of all the treated groups compared with control group. The harshness of these changes increased with increasing the doses of Fluoxetine. Conclusion: Maternal fluoxetine exposure caused harmful changes in the fetal heart, therefore the use of this drug during gestation should be under strict precautions and further studies are recommended that it is essential to survey the roles of anti-depressant drugs on fatal development during pregnancy.