Recombinogenic activity of fluoxetine in Aspergillus nidulans

Abstract

The recombinogenic potential of fluoxetine, an antidepressant widely prescribed in the treatment of depressive disorders in cancer patients, was investigated in this study. A heterozygous diploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans was utilized. Fluoxetine at 7.5, 15, and 30μM concentrations induced homozygosity of several nutritional genetic markers and significantly increased their homozygotization index values. Since mitotic recombination is a mechanism leading to malignant growth through the loss of a functional copy of a heterozygous tumor-suppressor gene, fluoxetine may be characterized as an inducer of secondary malignances in cancer patients after antidepressant treatment.

Keywords::

• Cancer patients
• fluoxetine
• tumor promoters
• second malignancy
• somatic recombination

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Luzia A.S. Regasse and Rosinete Gonçalves Mariucci for their technical assistance. JC-P is the holder of a PIBIC/CNPq fellowship.

Declaration of interest: There is no conflict of interest.