title: Lithium blocks ethanol-induced modulation of protein kinases in the developing brain.
abstract: Lithium has been shown to be neuroprotective against various insults including ethanol exposure. We previously reported that ethanol-induced apoptotic neurodegeneration in the postnatal day 7 (P7) mice is associated with decreases in phosphorylation levels of Akt, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and alteration in lipid profiles in the brain. Here, P7 mice were injected with ethanol and lithium, and the effects of lithium on ethanol-induced alterations in phosphorylation levels of protein kinases and lipid profiles in the brain were examined. Immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses showed that lithium significantly blocked ethanol-induced caspase-3 activation and reduction in phosphorylation levels of Akt, GSK-3beta, and AMPK. Further, lithium inhibited accumulation of cholesterol ester (ChE) and N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE) triggered by ethanol in the brain. These results suggest that Akt, GSK-3beta, and AMPK are involved in ethanol-induced neurodegeneration and the neuroprotective effects of lithium by modulating both apoptotic and survival pathways.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobehavior Genetics, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.
authors.forename: Goutam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Rui-Fen
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vadasz
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D016875:tau Proteins; D000431:Ethanol; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605507:Gsk3b protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D018021:Lithium Chloride