Lithium promotes recovery of neurological function after spinal cord injury by inducing autophagy.

ABSTRACT: Lithium promotes autophagy and has a neuroprotective effect on spinal cord injury (SCI); however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of lithium and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) in a rat model of SCI. The rats were randomly assigned to the SCI, lithium, 3-MA and sham groups. In the 3-MA group, rats were intraperitoneally injected with 3-MA (3 mg/kg) 2 hours before SCI. In the lithium and 3-MA groups, rats were intraperitoneally injected with lithium (LiCl; 30 mg/kg) 6 hours after SCI and thereafter once daily until sacrifice. At 2, 3 and 4 weeks after SCI, neurological function and diffusion tensor imaging indicators were remarkably improved in the lithium group compared with the SCI and 3-MA groups. The Basso, B

SUBMITTER: Zhang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6199946 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature