title: Chronic lithium chloride administration to rats decreases brain protein level of epsilon (epsilon) subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor-2B.
abstract: The eukaryotic initiation factor-2B (eIF-2B) can regulate translation and protein synthesis. We used Western blot analysis to quantify the protein level of the catalytic epsilon (epsilon) subunit of eIF-2B in brains of rats fed lithium chloride (LiCl) for 6 weeks so as to produce a brain lithium concentration that is therapeutically effective in bipolar disorder. The ratio of eIF-2B (epsilon) to actin protein was significantly reduced (P<0.01) in LiCl-fed rats, 0.86+/-0.06 (SE) compared to 1.2+/-0.07 in control rats. These results suggest that a therapeutic level of lithium may downregulate the synthesis of proteins whose translation depends on eIF-2B.
authors.affiliation: Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 10, Room 6N202, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. frances@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bosetti
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seemann
authors.forename: Stanley I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Rapoport
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D020717:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2B / Q000378:metabolism*; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents; D020717:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2B; D018021:Lithium Chloride