Employees of the Ultrastructural Research Laboratory of the Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymphology, a branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS (Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) discovered the effect. Lithium carbonate, found in the brains of laboratory animals with tumor growth, prevents the development of anxiety and depression in them. The institute’s press service told socialbites.ca about this.
Depression is known to be a common complication in cancer patients. There is evidence in the scientific literature that every tenth cancer patient suffers from depression. Moreover, the disorder does not develop only as a result of emotional shocks. The fact is that tumors in the process of growth produce various biologically active substances, including cytokines, which can affect the structure and function of neurons. As a result of damage to nerve cells, the body’s cognitive function may be damaged and depression may develop.
In the study, scientists found that the expression of the neurotrophic factor BDNF, which is necessary for the survival and function of neurons, was reduced in the brains (prefrontal cortex) of laboratory mice with cancer. The animals also showed a decrease in the density of synaptic vesicles and synapses (areas responsible for transmitting nerve impulses). Behavioral tests showed that as the tumors developed, the animals became less mobile and more passive, showing signs of anxious-depressive behavior.
Administration of lithium carbonate (a salt of the alkali metal lithium and carbonic acid) had a corrective effect on both the animals’ behavior and the structure of nerve cells in the prefrontal cortex of their brains. Autophagy, the process of eliminating “cellular debris” in the structure of neurons, was also activated.
Scientists also noted that when exposed to lithium carbonate in the cerebral cortex of animals, the number of interneuron synapses increased and the concentration of neurotrophic factors BDNF and interleukin-4, which have anti-inflammatory properties, increased.
According to the study’s authors, the findings could form the basis for the development of neuroprotective treatment technologies aimed at eliminating damage to brain cells and relieving symptoms of depression. Lithium medications are currently used to treat manic phases of bipolar disorder. However, such drugs can have a toxic effect on the kidneys when the concentration of the active substance in the body increases.
As an alternative, scientists are considering the possibility of creating a drug based on lithium citrate. It is less toxic than lithium carbonate and is better absorbed by the body.
Russians before said About the symptoms of bipolar disorder.