Objective: To explore the effect of fluoxetine on behavior and hippocampal neurogenesis in post-stroke depression model rats.
Methods: Thirty-two adult male rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, stroke group, PSD group and fluoxetine group. The ischemic stroke rat model was established by middle cerebral artery embolization, chronic unpredictable mild stimulation combined with solitary rearing method The PSD rat model was prepared. Body weight was measured at baseline and on days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 after surgery, as well as sucrose preference test and open-box test to evaluate the behavioral changes of rats, and forced swimming test was added on day 35 . At the end of the experiment, the neuronal neogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was detected by immunohistochemistry.
Results: The body weight, sucrose water consumption ratio, horizontal and vertical movement scores of the open-box test were measured 28 and 35 days after the start of stress, and the PSD group was significantly different from the stroke group (P<0.05). Compared with the PSD group, the difference in the PSD group was also statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the stroke group, the immobility time of the rats in the PSD group was significantly increased, while the swimming and climbing time was significantly shortened in the forced swimming test (P<0.01). Compared with the PSD group, the immobility time of the rats was significantly shortened and the swimming time increased significantly (P<0.01). Immunohistochemistry showed that compared with the stroke group, the number of new neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of the PSD group was significantly reduced. (P<0.01), while the number of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of the rats after fluoxetine intervention was significantly increased compared with the PSD group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Fluoxetine can effectively improve the depression in PSD rats, and hippocampal neuron regeneration is involved in this process and plays an important role.