Fluoxetine exerts anti-inflammatory effects on human epidermal keratinocytes, and suppresses their endothelin release

Fluoxetine is a safe antidepressant with remarkable anti-inflammatory actions. In this study, we used human epidermal keratinocytes ("HaCaT cell line") and induced an inflammatory response by using a Toll-like receptor 3 activating agent ("polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid"), because it is well-described that pathological activation of this receptor plays a role in certain inflammatory skin diseases (e.g., atopic dermatitis) and in the development of itch. The goal of the study was to determine how co-administration of fluoxetine can influence (and abrogate) the pro-inflammatory effect of the said Toll-like receptor 3 activating agent ("polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid"). The experiments were performed in three biological replicates.