Fluvoxamine, a common antidepressant agent, is designed to exert its pharmacological effect by inhibiting synaptic serotonin reuptake. However, increasing evidence has demonstrated that σ1 receptors are likely to be involved in the mechanism of action of fluvoxamine. The present study aimed to observe the effects of fluvoxamine on the expression levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 2γ (Camk2γ) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in fluvoxamine-treated N2a cells and attempted to elucidate whether σ1 receptors mediate the pharmacological effects of fluvoxamine. The N2a cells were randomly divided into three groups (each n=6): DMEM group (D group), 0.5 μmol/l fluvoxamine group (F group) and 0.2 μmol/l BD1047 (a σ1 receptor antagonist) + 0.5 μmol/l fluvoxamine group (BF group). Western blotting was used to determine the expression levels of mTOR, Camk2γ and GSK-3β in the cultured N2a cells after two days of incubation. The F group exhibited significant increases in the expression levels of mTOR and Camk2γ and a significant reduction in the expression levels of GSK-3β compared with those in the D group (P<0.01). By contrast, the BF group demonstrated significant reductions in the expression levels of mTOR and Camk2γ and a significant increase in the expression levels of GSK-3β, compared with those in the F group (P<0.01). These results suggest that σ1 receptors mediate fluvoxamine-elicited changes in the expression levels of mTOR, Camk2γ and GSK-3β in N2a cells, which indicates that σ1 receptors are likely to be involved in the pharmacological effects of fluvoxamine.
Keywords: Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 2γ; fluvoxamine; glycogen synthase kinase-3β; mammalian target of rapamycin; σ1 receptor antagonist.