Fluoxetine increases brain MeCP2 immuno-positive cells in a female Mecp2 heterozygous mouse model of Rett syndrome through endogenous serotonin.

ABSTRACT: Motor skill deficit is a common and invalidating symptom of Rett syndrome (RTT), a rare disease almost exclusively affecting girls during the first/second year of life. Loss-of-function mutations of the methyl-CpG-binding protein2 (MECP2; Mecp2 in rodents) gene is the cause in most patients. We recently found that fluoxetine, a selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor and antidepressant drug, fully rescued motor coordination deficits in Mecp2 heterozygous (Mecp2 HET) mice acting through brain 5-HT. Here, we asked whether fluoxetine could increase MeCP2 expression in the brain of Mecp2 HET mice, under the same schedule of treatment improving motor coordination. Fluoxetine increased the number of MeCP2 immuno-positive (MeCP2⁺) cells in the prefrontal cortex, M1 and M2 motor c

SUBMITTER: Villani C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8290043 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature