Abstract
Materials and Methods: Blood was drawn from 20 healthy subjects and PBMCs were isolated. Cells were treated with paroxetine and/or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 72 h. IL-4 and IFN-γ concentrations were assessed in the supernatant using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The BrdU cell proliferation assay was also performed to evaluate the paroxetine effect on PBMCs in the absence or presence of PHA.
Results: Paroxetine (25 μM) significantly inhibited the production of IL-4 and IFN-γ in PHA-stimulated human PBMC cultures. Surprisingly, paroxetine suppressed cell proliferation in the unstimulated culture in a dose-independent manner. Paroxetine also attenuated cell proliferation in the PHA-stimulated culture, especially at 25 μM concentration.
Conclusion: The obtained results suggest that paroxetine can be a potent therapeutic option in inflammatory diseases by balancing immune responses.