OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of antidepressant citalopram on the gene 
expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta 
(IL-1β), and to discuss the impacts of citalopram on p38 and c-jun N-terminal 
kinase (JNK) of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family in microglial 
cells.
METHODS: BV2 cells were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to produce TNF-α and 
IL-1β. After pretreatment with citalopram (20 μmol/L) for 4 h, the mRNA levels 
of TNF-α and IL-1β were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR); after 
pretreatment for 24 h, the protein levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were analyzed by 
ELISA; the effects of citalopram on the phosphorylation of p38MAPK and JNK were 
observed after pretreatment for 30 min.
RESULTS: Citalopram significantly inhibited the mRNA and protein expressions of 
TNF-α and IL-1β, and the phosphorylation of p38MAPK and JNK.
CONCLUSION: Citalopram may play the anti-inflammatory role by inhibiting MAPK 
pathway in microglial cells.