Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is clinically
used for the treatment of depression in human patients. Because of recent reports on the
role of serotonin in modulating inflammation and the link between inflammation and
depression, we sought to test the effect of paroxetine directly on macrophage response to
an inflammatory stimulus. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of mouse macrophages
significantly enhanced TNFα and IL-6 production. Paroxetine treatment of
macrophages however, significantly inhibited LPS-induced IL-6 production. In contrast,
paroxetine enhanced LPS-induced TNFα production in macrophages. These effects of
paroxetine were mimicked by fluoxetine, another SSRI. To determine if the effects of
paroxetine are mediated via modulation of the 5-HT system, we treated macrophages with
5-HT or 5-HT receptor antagonist (LY215840) in the presence of LPS and/or paroxetine. 5-HT
treatment by itself did not affect LPS-induced cytokine production. LY215840 however,
reversed paroxetine's effect on LPS-induced TNFα production but not IL-6. To
understand the signaling mechanisms, we examined paroxetine's effect on MAPK and
NFκB pathways. While paroxetine inhibited LPS-induced IκBα
phosphorylation, MAPK pathways were mostly unaffected. Together these data demonstrate
that paroxetine has critical but differential effects on IL-6 and TNFα production
in macrophages and that it likely regulates these cytokines via distinct mechanisms.