title: Lithium modifies brain arachidonic and docosahexaenoic metabolism in rat lipopolysaccharide model of neuroinflammation.
abstract: Neuroinflammation, caused by 6 days of intracerebroventricular infusion of a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.5 ng/h), stimulates brain arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism in rats, but 6 weeks of lithium pretreatment reduces this effect. To further understand this action of lithium, we measured concentrations of eicosanoids and docosanoids generated from AA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), respectively, in high-energy microwaved rat brain using LC/MS/MS and two doses of LPS. In rats fed a lithium-free diet, low (0.5 ng/h)- or high (250 ng/h)-dose LPS compared with artificial cerebrospinal fluid increased brain unesterified AA and prostaglandin E(2) concentrations and activities of AA-selective Ca(2+)-dependent cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2))-IV and Ca(2+)-dependent secretory sPLA(2). LiCl feeding prevented these increments. Lithium had a significant main effect by increasing brain concentrations of lipoxygenase-derived AA metabolites, 5- hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), 5-oxo-eicosatetranoic acid, and 17-hydroxy-DHA by 1.8-, 4.3- and 1.9-fold compared with control diet. Lithium also increased 15-HETE in high-dose LPS-infused rats. Ca(2+)-independent iPLA(2)-VI activity and unesterified DHA and docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) concentrations were unaffected by LPS or lithium. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that lithium can increase brain 17-hydroxy-DHA formation, indicating a new and potentially important therapeutic action of lithium.
authors.affiliation: Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. mirvasln@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basselin
authors.forename: Hyung-Wook
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kaizong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Stanley I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Rapoport
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Santiago E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Farias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D002404:Catheterization; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004951:Esterification; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004041:Dietary Fats; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D008094:Lithium