Abstract
Major depression is a stress-related disorder that affects about 20% of the population, with women outnumbering men by 2:1. However, research focusing on stress/antidepressant-related immunomodulation overlooks sex differences, although an established sexual dimorphism also characterizes the immune system. We report for the first time that both chronic clomipramine treatment (10 mg/kg, twice daily) and chronic mild stress (CMS) application in rats, exert sexually dimorphic effects on cellular immunoreactivity (natural killer and lymphokine-activated killer cell cytotoxicity and interleukin-2-induced T-cell proliferation), with females presenting a relatively immunosuppressed phenotype compared to males. Moreover, following chronic antidepressant treatment, thymic monoamines presented sex-related alterations, as well as intriguing associations with peripheral T-cell responses. This study highlights the sex-related effects of chronic clomipramine treatment and CMS application on the cellular arm of immunity, and represents a preliminary exposé of a thymus-dependent route pertaining to the interactions between antidepressants and the immune system.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / administration & dosage*
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Cell Proliferation / drug effects
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Cells, Cultured
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Chronic Disease
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Clomipramine / administration & dosage*
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Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / drug effects
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Depressive Disorder, Major / drug therapy*
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Depressive Disorder, Major / immunology
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Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology
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Disease Models, Animal
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Dopamine / metabolism
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Drug Administration Schedule
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Female
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Immunity, Cellular / drug effects*
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Interleukin-2 / metabolism
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Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / drug effects
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Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / immunology
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Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
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Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
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Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
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Male
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Norepinephrine / metabolism
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Rats
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Serotonin / metabolism
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Severity of Illness Index
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Sex Characteristics*
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Sex Factors
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Stress, Psychological / immunology*
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T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
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T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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Thymus Gland / drug effects*
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Thymus Gland / immunology
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Thymus Gland / metabolism
Substances
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Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
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Interleukin-2
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Serotonin
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Clomipramine
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Dopamine
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Norepinephrine