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Paroxetine retards disease onset and progression in Huntingtin mutant mice
Author(s) -
Duan Wenzhen,
Guo Zhihong,
Jiang Haiyang,
Ladenheim Bruce,
Xu Xiangru,
Cadet Jean Lud,
Mattson Mark P.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.20075
Subject(s) - paroxetine , huntingtin , antidepressant , neurotransmitter , reuptake inhibitor , huntington's disease , pharmacology , medicine , reuptake , serotonin , serotonin reuptake inhibitor , disease , endocrinology , central nervous system , hippocampus , receptor
We report that administration of paroxetine, a widely prescribed antidepressant drug that acts by inhibiting reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin, suppresses the neurodegenerative process and increases the survival of huntingtin mutant mice, an animal model of Huntington's disease (HD). Paroxetine attenuated motor dysfunction and body weight loss and improved glucose metabolism in the HD mice. Paroxetine was beneficial when treatment was initiated before or after the onset of motor dysfunction, suggesting a potential for such antidepressant drugs in the treatment of presymptomatic and symptomatic HD patients.