Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride; FLX), a selective inhibitor of serotonin reuptake by nerve terminal in the brain, is widely used in treatment of depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders since 1987. Although FLX is generally safe, effective, and well tolerated, however, several adverse effects have been reported in the literatures. This drug may be responsible for the occurrence of male's sexual dysfunction and reproductive toxicity that can alter essential sex hormones homeostasis, fertility, and seminal configurations. So, this work was designed to evaluate the toxic effects of FLX on rats' thyroid glands as well as reproductive organ (testes) functions and structures. The study was conducted on 20 adult male albino rats that divided equally into 2 groups (10 rats each). Each group had received its corresponding substance in a single dose/day via intragastric tube for 60 consecutive days as follows: Group 1 (Control group; C-gp): Each fasted rat had received 2-ml of distilled water. Group 2 (FLX treated group; FLX-gp): Each fasted rat had received 45 mg/kg of FLX per 2-ml of distilled water.
At the end of the experimental period and under anesthesia, blood samples were collected for measurement of hormonal levels, and then rats were sacrificed for harvesting thyroids, testes, and epidydimides for histological examination. The obtained results of FLX-gp showed significant differences when compared with C-gp data that represented as reduction in animals' final body weights, increases in absolute and relative weights of the thyroids, decreases in absolute and relative weights of the testes and epidydimides, disturbances of various seminal fluid quality parameters as evidenced by declines in sperm count, motility, and normal sperm morphology in association with increased abnormal sperm percentage and disruptions of serum hormonal analysis in the form of decreases in the follicular stimulating hormone level accompanying with decreases in the triiodothyronine, thyroxin, thyroid stimulating hormone, total testosterone, and luteinizing hormone levels. Furthermore, thyroidal and testicular tissue examination revealed several histopathological changes that supported the hormonal results. These data suggest that FLX exhibits detrimental effects on male reproductive organ functions and histomorphology by acting both centrally on the thyroid glands and peripherally on testicular tissues leading to development of hypogonadism and impairment of spermatogenesis. Hence, prolonged exposure to FLX has the potential to negatively affect the human reproductive system which reinforces the need for periodical counseling to monitor the patients' fertility indices. |
