Lithium ameliorates open-field and elevated plus maze behaviors, and brain phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta expression in fragile X syndrome model mice.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate whether lithium modifies open-field and elevated plus maze behavior, and brain phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3 (P-GSK3beta) expression in Fmr1 knockout mice.

METHODS:

One hundred and eighty FVB mice, including knockout and wild type, with an age of 30 days were used. An open-field and elevated plus maze was utilized to test behavior, while western blot was used to measure the P-GSK3beta expression. Six groups were formed: control (saline), lithium chloride 30, 60, 90, 120, and 200 mg/kg. The experiments were carried out in the Institute of Neuroscience, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China between January and June 2012.

RESULTS:

Lithium significantly decreased total distance, crossing, central area time, and center entry in the open-field test (p<0.05), and significantly reduced open-arm tracking, open-arm entry, and open-arm time in the elevated plus maze (p<0.05) in knockout mice. In wild type mice, significant changes were observed in both behavior tests in some treatment groups. Lithium ameliorated P-GSK3beta expression in the hippocampus of all the treatment groups in knockout mice (p<0.05). However, lithium did not modify either GSK3beta expression in tissues of knockout mice, or P-GSK3beta or GSK3beta expression in tissues of wild type mice.

CONCLUSION:

Lithium ameliorated open-field and elevated plus maze behaviors of Fmr1 knockout mice. This effect may be related to its enhancement of P-GSK3beta expression. Our findings suggest that lithium might have a therapeutic effect in fragile X syndrome.

• Authors: Xi Chen, Weiwen Sun, Ying Pan, Quan Yang, Kaiyi Cao, Jin Zhang, Yizhi Zhang, Mincong Chen, Feidi Chen, Yueling Huang, Lijun Dai, Shengqiang Chen
• Journal: Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) (Neurosciences (Riyadh)) Vol. 18 Issue 4 Pg. 356-62 (Oct 2013) ISSN: 1319-6138 [Print] Saudi Arabia
• PMID: 24141459 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antimanic Agents
• Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
• Gsk3b protein, mouse
• Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
• Lithium Chloride

Topics

• Animals
• Antimanic Agents (pharmacology)
• Behavior, Animal (drug effects)
• Blotting, Western
• Brain (drug effects, enzymology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Fragile X Syndrome (enzymology)
• Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (biosynthesis)
• Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
• Immunohistochemistry
• Lithium Chloride (pharmacology)
• Maze Learning (drug effects)
• Mice
• Mice, Knockout