Biomaterial Database

Effects of chronic lithium administration on brain weights, acetylcholinesterase activity and learning ability in rats. 1990

C Gallo, and G Poletti, and A Cazorla

Depto. de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú.

In order to test the effects of chronic lithium (Li) administration on learning and memory, 21 day old rats were subjected to different degrees of environmental stimulation (enriched condition, EC and impoverished condition, IC) with and without Li for 144 days. Li was administered with food (2.18 mEq/Kg weight/day). Average plasma Li concentration at the end of the experiment was 0.41 +/- 0.04 mu Eq/ml. Both Li treatment and the environmental condition showed an overall significant effect on the cortex/subcortex weight ratio and learning ability index, but not on AChE activity in occipital cortex. A similar pattern of brain Li distribution was observed in both EC-Li and IC-Li, with occipital cortex having the highest levels. Li tissue/protein/plasma ratio was higher in EC than in IC, in all the brain areas studied. Other organs (liver and kidney) did not show EC-IC differences in the tissue/protein/plasma Li ratio.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007668	Kidney	Body organ that filters blood for the secretion of URINE and that regulates ion concentrations.	Kidneys
D007858	Learning	Relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of past experience or practice. The concept includes the acquisition of knowledge.	Phenomenography
D008094	Lithium	An element in the alkali metals family. It has the atomic symbol Li, atomic number 3, and atomic weight [6.938; 6.997]. Salts of lithium are used in treating BIPOLAR DISORDER.	Lithium-7,Lithium 7
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D009929	Organ Size	The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.	Organ Volume,Organ Weight,Size, Organ,Weight, Organ
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D004912	Erythrocytes	Red blood cells. Mature erythrocytes are non-nucleated, biconcave disks containing HEMOGLOBIN whose function is to transport OXYGEN.	Blood Cells, Red,Blood Corpuscles, Red,Red Blood Cells,Red Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, Red,Blood Corpuscle, Red,Erythrocyte,Red Blood Cell,Red Blood Corpuscle
D000110	Acetylcholinesterase	An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ACETYLCHOLINE to CHOLINE and acetate. In the CNS, this enzyme plays a role in the function of peripheral neuromuscular junctions. EC 3.1.1.7.	Acetylcholine Hydrolase,Acetylthiocholinesterase,Hydrolase, Acetylcholine