engleski

Molecular effects of lithium on human A1235 glioblastoma cells: is lithium a neuroprotective drug?

Mood stabilizers represent a class of drugs that are efficacious in the treatment of bipolar disorders. One of the most established medications in this class is lithium. The recent finding suggest that lithium, besides mood stabilization, might be involved in neuroprotection. The aim of present study was to analyze molecular mechanisms induced in human glioblastoma A1235 cell line by the treatment with lithium. Cytotoxicity of lithium was examined by spectrophotometric MTT assay. To determine the distribution of cells in the cell cycle, flow cytometry was used. The expression of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and survivin was examined by Western blot method. Results show that 72 h incubation with lower levels of lithium (0.5 mM and 2 mM), did not caused any cytotoxicity or changes in the cell-cycle phases-distribution. However, higher dose (20 mM) was cytotoxic for glioblastoma cells, causing disturbance in cell-cycle phases, with the accumulation of cells in G2/M phase of the cell-cycle. During the treatment with lithium, the level of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 did not changed, while the level of survivin increased, even with the lower, therapeutic relevant doses of this drug. In conclusion, therapeutic concentrations of lithium are not cytotoxic for human glioblastoma cells. Evemore, they could be involved in neuroprotection due to the induction of expression of antiapoptotic protein

lithium; neuroprotection; survivin; glioblastoma cells

nije evidentirano