title: Lithium ions modulate the expression of VMAT2 in rat brain.
abstract: Recent work has indicated that lithium (at 1 mM, a concentration that is efficacious in the treatment of manic-depressive disorders) modulates the level of vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) mRNA in PC12 cells as a function of the differentiation status of these cells. To ascertain whether VMAT expression in neurons is sensitive to lithium, in vivo, rats were fed a lithium-supplemented diet for 21 days (which raised serum lithium to 0.98+/-0.1 mM). Northern analysis revealed an overall increase (199+/-27%) of the neuronal VMAT isoform (VMAT2) in rat brain after lithium. However, in situ hybridization analysis revealed regional differences in the effects of lithium. Thus, VMAT2 mRNA increased by 50-100% over control in the raphe nuclei, ventral tegmental area, and substantia nigra of rats fed the lithium diet. Concomitantly, VMAT2 mRNA declined by about 50% in the locus coeruleus. Because VMAT2 is expressed in neurons that are strongly implicated in regulating mood and behavior, these data support the hypothesis that alterations of VMAT2 expression contribute to the therapeutic effects of lithium in psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging 1220, University of California Los Angeles, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1770, USA.
authors.forename: Mara L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: Cameron B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Gundersen
authors.forename: Joy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Umbach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C493451:Slc18a1 protein, rat; C493454:Slc18a2 protein, rat; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; D008094:Lithium