Lithium Induces Lower Specific Activity and Expression of Acetylcholinesterase in Old Aged Rats Brain and Liver for the Regulation of Acetyl Choline Cellular Signaling

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) acts on acetylcholine (ACh) to terminate its actions on the synaptic cleft by cleaving Ach to choline and acetate. This directly correlates with memory dysfunction and loss of cognitive functions in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients which was a continuous decline of the cholinergic neurotransmission in cortical and other regions of human brain. Specific activity and expression for AChEwere determined in LiCl₂ treated young and old male wistar rat's brain and liver (each n=5) with respective controls. Histogram showed lower AChE activity 6.16 ± 0.25 and 5.46 ± 0.066, respectively for 10 and 20 days LiCl₂ treated old rats than their control 7.05 ± 0.15 µmoles/min/mg of protein. In contrast young brain lithium-treated showed higher AChE specific` activity 4.02 ± 0.158 and 6.15 ± 0.22, respectively than control 3.58 ± 0.03 µmoles/min/mg of protein. While 10 and 20 days lithium-treated old rat’s liver showed lower AChE specific activity 0.50 ± 0.080 and 0.40 ± 0.025, respectively than control 1.56 ± 0.11 µmoles/min/mg and young liver also showed lower AChE activity 0.38 ± 0.022 and 0.36 ± 0.015, respectively than their control 3.60 ± 0.08 µmoles/min/mg for the same period of lithium-treated young rats. Native gel AChEshowed lower AChE expression for 10 and 20 days LiCl_2-treated old aged rat brain than control results similar to spectrophotometric assays. Therefore lithium has negative effect on AChE which releases ACh to stimulate neuronal transmission for regulation of cellular signaling in brain and liver cell function.

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), specific activity, lithium chloride, native gel, acetylcholine (ACh)

Cite this Article

Prabha M, Patil ST, Suneetha P et al. Lithium Induces Lower Specific Activity and Expression of Acetylcholinesterase in Old Aged Rats Brain and Liver for the Regulation of Acetyl Choline Cellular Signaling. Research and Reviews: Journal of Neuroscience. 2018; 8(2): 1–12p.