Investigation of the Genotoxic Effect of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the potential genotoxic effect of fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLX-HCl), an antidepressant commonly used for treating depression, using Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART). Third-¬instar Drosophila melanogaster larvae transheterozygous for the mutations multiple wing hair (mwh) and flare (flr3) were chronically fed in a medium containing different concentrations of FLX-HCl (0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL) in the experimental group. Distilled water, 0.1 mM ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS), and 2% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were used in negative, positive, and solvent control groups, respectively. The survival percentages were calculated by determining the number of individuals surviving when the larvae completed their development in the experimental and control groups. In all application groups, the wings of 40 individuals with both normal and serrate wing phenotypes were examined under a microscope, and genetic changes were evaluated by counting the mutant clones in the wings. The data obtained show that 1 and 2 mg/mL concentrations of FLX-HCl caused toxic effects in D. melanogaster individuals. Additionally, FLX-HCl showed a negative genotoxic effect at 0.1 mg/mL concentration, insignificant at 0.5 mg/mL concentration, and positive at 1 and 2 mg/mL concentrations in terms of total mutation evaluation and clone induction frequency in D. melanogaster individuals.