Down-Regulation of Aquaporin 4 in the Lithium-Treated Rat Brain / 대한해부학회지

ABSTRACT

Lithium has long been a primary drug used to treat bipolar mood disorder. Recently, in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated neuroprotective actions of lithium, even though therapeutic mechanisms of lithium remain obscure. The present study was undertaken to examine whether pretreatment with lithium can reduce the expression of aquaporin4 (AQP4) related to brain edema. Chronic lithium treatment was produced by pellet of standard diet containing 40 mmol/dL and/or 60 mmol/dL lithium chloride for 25 days. The serum concentrations of lithium were increased to 0.60+/-0.1 mEq/L in the 40 mM/dL and 60 mM/dL lithium treated rats which is therapeutic dose of clinical practice. After chronic lithium treatment, there was a dose-dependent down-regulation of AQP4 expression in the cerebrospinal fluid-brain interfaces and blood brain barrier. Down-regulation of AQP4 after chronic lithium treatment suggest that lithium may be used for the prevention or treatment of brain edema.