Lithium treatment decreases activities of tau kinases in a murine model of senescence.
Lithium modulates glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta), a kinase involved in Alzheimer disease-related tau pathology. To investigate mechanisms of aging and the potential therapy of lithium in neurodegenerative disease, we treated senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM)P8 mice, a murine model of senescence, and mice of the control SAMR1 strain with lithium. The treatment reduced hippocampal caspase 3 and calpain activation, indicating that it provides neuroprotection. Lithium also reduced both the levels and activity of GSK-3beta and the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 and reduced hyperphosphorylation of 3 different phosphoepitopes of tau: Ser199, Ser212, and Ser396. In lithium-treated primary cultures of SAMP8 and SAMR1 cerebellar neurons, there was a marked reduction in protease activity mediated by calpain and caspase 3. Both lithium and SB415286, a specific inhibitor of GSK-3beta, reduced apoptosis in vitro. Taken together, these in vivo and in vitro findings of lithium-mediated reductions in GSK-3beta and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activities, tau phosphorylation, apoptotic activity, and cell death provide a strong rationale for the use of lithium as a potential treatment in neurodegenerative diseases.
Unitat de Farmacologia, Facultat de Farmácia Institut de Biomedicina Universitat de Barcelona, Nucli Universitari de Pedralbes, Barcelona, Spain.
Marta
M
Tajes
Javier
J
Gutierrez-Cuesta
Jaume
J
Folch
Isidre
I
Ferrer
Beatriz
B
Caballero
Mark A
MA
Smith
Gemma
G
Casadesus
Antoni
A
Camins
Mercé
M
Pallás
D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016875:tau Proteins; D008094:Lithium; D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605507:Gsk3b protein, mouse; C495906:Cdk5 protein, mouse; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3