Effects of fluoxetine and venlafaxine and pilocarpine on rat parotid glands.

This study assessed the effect of the antidepressants, Fluoxetine and Venlafaxine, on the size (GS), mass (M), cellular volume (CV), of rat parotid salivary glands and salivary flow rate (SFR), as well as the secretagogue action of pilocarpine on this flow. Ninety animals were divided into 9 treatment groups with the antidepressants, antidepressants associated with the application of pilocarpine, antidepressants and physiologic serum, physiologic serum (control) and pilocarpine (positive control). Thirty hours after the end of treatment, saliva collection began, to determine the SFR. Next, the salivary glands were removed, GS and M measured, and the specimens processes for histomorphometric analysis and CV determination. The variable GS presented statistically significant increase among the groups that were treated for 30 days with Fluoxetine (p=0.0002) and Venlafaxine (p=0.0112) when compared with the group treated with physiologic serum (control). The group treated with Fluoxetine for 30 days revealed increase in M (p=0.0190) and diminished SFR (p=0.0031), statistically significant, when compared with the control group. CV revealed increase in acinic cells between the Fluoxetine (30 days) (p=0.0005) and Venlafaxine (30 days) (p=0.0004) groups as well, when compared with the control group. The group treated with Venlafaxine for 60 days in association with pilocarpine presented SFR similar to the control group treated for 60 days. Both Fluoxetine and Venlafaxine reduced the SFR and caused increase in CV, resulting in hypertrophy of the glands, with Fluoxetine having a more pronounced anticholinergic action. The pilocarpine increased the SFR in the group that received Venlafaxine.