Lithium activates brain phospholipase A2 and improves memory in rats: implications for Alzheimer's disease

Author(s)

Mury, Fabio B. ; da Silva, Weber C. ; Barbosa, Nadia R. ; Mendes, Camila T. ; Bonini, Juliana S. ; Souza Sarkis, Jorge Eduardo ; Cammarota, Martin ; Izquierdo, Ivan ; Gattaz, Wagner F. ; Dias-Neto, Emmanuel

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE; v. 266, n. 7, p. 607-618, OCT 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Phospholipase A2 (Pla2) is required for memory retrieval, and its inhibition in the hippocampus has been reported to impair memory acquisition in rats. Moreover, cognitive decline and memory deficits showed to be reduced in animal models after lithium treatment, prompting us to evaluate possible links between Pla2, lithium and memory. Here, we evaluated the possible modulation of Pla2 activity by a long-term treatment of rats with low doses of lithium and its impact in memory. Wistar rats were trained for the inhibitory avoidance task, treated with lithium for 100 days and tested for perdurability of long-term memory. Hippocampal samples were used for quantifying the expression of 19 brain-expressed Pla2 genes and for evaluating the enzymatic activity of Pla2 using group-specific radio-enzymatic assays. Our data pointed to a significant perdurability of long-term memory, which correlated with increased transcriptional and enzymatic activities of certain members of the Pla2 family (iPla2 and sPla2) after the chronic lithium treatment. Our data suggest new possible targets of lithium, add more information on its pharmacological activity and reinforce the possible use of low doses of lithium for the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as the Alzheimer's disease. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/52825-8 - Neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease: risk markers, prognosis and therapeutic response
• Grantee: Wagner Farid Gattaz
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 04/01478-2 - Molecular analysis of genes related to the central nervous system neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease
• Grantee: Camila Teixeira Mendes
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 04/02165-8 - Dynamics of gene expression of phospholipase A2 and the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the brain: implications for memory and Alzheimer's Disease
• Grantee: Fábio Borges Mury
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)