[Effects of lithium on the activity of ERK-1/2 signal pathway and expression of Bcl-2 family proteins in the central nervous system in vivo].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of chronic in vivo lithium administration on ERK-1/2 signal pathway and the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins, and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of lithium on the manic depression.


METHODS
Forty male Wistar rats were evenly divided into 2 groups. One group was treated with 2.4 g/kg of Li2CO3 for 4 weeks. The other group were given with normal chow. By the end of the 4th week, rat brains were removed immediately on decapitation and dissected on ice. The total proteins of rat brain hippocampus and frontal cortex were prepared. Levels of the prylated, active forms of MEK, ERK-1/2, RSK1 and CREB, and the expression levels of Bcl-2 family were assayed by Western Blotting.


RESULTS
Lithium increased the activities of MEK, ERK-1/2, RSK1, and CREB, up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2, and down-regulated the expression of Bax in rat brain hippocampus and frontal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic in vivo lithium administration activities ERK-1/2 signal pathway and regulates the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins in the central nervous system, which may associate with the therapeutic effects of lithium in the treatment of manic depression.
Li
Jian-ling
JL
Medical Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
Jing
Zhao-zheng
ZZ
Yi
Hong
H
D000818:Animals; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases