FLUOXETINE ACTION ON MURINE T-LYMPHOCYTE PROLIFERATION - PARTICIPATION OF PKC ACTIVATION AND CALCIUM MOBILIZATION

The present study was undertaken to analyse the effect of fluoxetine u pon murine T-lymphocyte proliferation. We found that fluoxetine exerte d a dual effect, which depended on the degree of lymphocyte activation : at mitogenic concentration (2 mu g/mL) of concavalin A (Con A), we o bserved an inhibitory effect on cellular proliferation, whereas, on su bmitogenic Con A concentration (1 mu g/mL), fluoxetine stimulated the cellular response. Given these facts, we studied PKC activation and ca lcium mobilisation in both stimulatory and inhibitory effects of fluox etine on T-cell proliferation. We observed that fluoxetine increased P KC translocation obtained with 1 mu g/mL Con A concentration, whereas PKC was degraded when 2 mu g/mL was used. This mechanism is thought to be mediated by calcium mobilisation. According to our results, fluoxe tine seemed to modulate calcium influx, which, in turn, would influenc e PKC translocation, modulating the immune response. CELL SIGNAL. 10;1 0:721-726, 1998. (C) Elsevier Science Inc.