What findings are there in terms of animal data?
Evidence from animal studies to date has been mixed, with some studies suggesting that blockade of the serotonin transporter may be beneficial to bone and others suggesting a negative effect on bone health. It is unclear what the explanation is for these discrepant results. However, it is clear that more work is needed to try to clarify the effects of inhibition of serotonin transporters on bone. One study6 involved female mice with and without ovaries that underwent fluoxetine treatment. The research reported that the fluoxetine treatment increased volume in the vertebral trabecular bone. However, this beneficial effect of SSRI administration was found only in the female mice with ovaries. The fluoxetine-treated mice that underwent ovariectomy were not protected against bone loss, which suggests some interplay among estrogen, serotonin transport inhibition, and bone. More research is needed to clarify the effects of inhibition of serotonin transporters on bone loss.
