NEUROPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROTOXICOLOGYLithium inhibits apoptosis of mouse neural progenitor cellsShimomura, Atsushi; Nomura, Ryuji; Senda, TakaoCA Author Information Department of Anatomy I, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan CACorresponding author: [email protected] Received 12 April 2003; accepted 17 June 2003 NeuroReport: October 6, 2003 - Volume 14 - Issue 14 - p 1779-1782 Buy Abstract As undifferentiated precursor cells in the CNS, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) supply new neurons and glial cells to repair damage within the adult brain. Recently, NPCs were found to undergo apoptosis. In serum-free basic fibroblast growth factor-containing culture medium, primary culture cells from fetal mouse neuroepithelium expressed nestin, and thus might be regarded as NPCs. These NPCs demonstrated apoptosis under electron microscopy and TUNEL assay. Treatment of NPCs with lithium, a specific inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), significantly suppressed apoptosis. Activity of pro-apoptotic protease caspase-3 was not detected in either lithium-untreated or -treated NPCs. These findings suggest that lithium may protect NPCs against apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-3-independent apoptotic pathways. © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
