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Paroxetine’s effect on the proinflammatory cytokine stimulation and intracellular signaling pathways in J774.2 cells

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Abstract

Paroxetine is extensively utilized in the management of depressive and anxious conditions. Paroxetine works by increasing serotonin levels in nerve cells in the brain. However, limited information is available regarding the direct effects of paroxetine on macrophage cells. Macrophages are a type of leukocytes involved in the body’s immune response, playing a crucial role in combating infections. The impact of paroxetine on macrophages has been explored in research, although a comprehensive understanding is still pending. This study aimed to research the potential of administering paroxetine to J774.2 macrophage cells to stimulate the release of GM-CSF, TNF-α, IL-12p40, and IL-6 cytokines. Additionally, we examined the mechanisms of action of paroxetine on the p38 signaling pathway, which is involved in cytokine production, and the PI3K pathway, which is an important mechanism in intracellular signaling. Our findings revealed that paroxetine induced an inflammatory response in macrophages by promoting cytokine synthesis in a non-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) environment. We observed that paroxetine triggered the inflammatory response through the PI3K signaling pathway while suppressing the p38 signaling pathway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Laboratory Techniques, Vocational School of Health Services, Toros University, Mersin, Turkey

    Harika Topal Önal

  2. Mersin University Advanced Technology Education Research and Application Center, Mersin, Turkey

    Derya Yetkin

  3. Science Institute, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biotechnology, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey

    Furkan Ayaz

  4. Mersin University Biotechnology Research and Application Center, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey

    Furkan Ayaz

Authors
  1. Harika Topal Önal
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  2. Derya Yetkin
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  3. Furkan Ayaz
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Contributions

HTO and FA conceived and designed research. HTO, FA, and DY conducted experiments related to cell culture. HTO and FA analyzed the data. HTO wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript and all data were generated in-house and that no paper mill was used.

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Correspondence to Harika Topal Önal or Furkan Ayaz.

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Önal, H.T., Yetkin, D. & Ayaz, F. Paroxetine’s effect on the proinflammatory cytokine stimulation and intracellular signaling pathways in J774.2 cells. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 396, 3327–3335 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-023-02669-1

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