One of the main subjects of my education I have had the most difficulty in understanding is chemistry. It’s been one of those subjects that I’ve loved to learn about and believe it is important to understand, but have never had a “knack” at learning. Due to this, the periodic table has not become one of my closest friends. I have fought with the elements of chemistry, and they have certainly fought back. So when lithium became the topic of the week in my neurochemistry class I was far from enthused to learn about something that I’ve had a long love/hate relationship with. But, after reading the article over lithium and its uses in the medical field I have learned so much about how important this element really is.
Lithium has been used as an effective treatment for Bipolar disorder for nearly fifty years, and during that time scientists and doctors had no real idea of how or why it worked; it just did. Even now, after so many years, we are still not completely sure how lithium is able to positively affect the brain the way it does. Not only is it being used for Bipolar disorder and other mood disorders, but has also been shown to prevent and help with strokes, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and more. In fact, when reading this paper, I came to know Lithium as the Superman of all of the elements, able to come to the rescue when the brain was in trouble.
What we know is that Lithium is able to protect neurons through multiple ways. It helps by blocking an enzyme known as glycogen synthase kinase-3, also known as GSK3. GSK3, when activated, turns on other enzymes that eventually lead to programmed cell death (also known as apoptosis), which even though the cell may not be functioning correctly, is not good. Lithium also helps with the expression of the growth factor BDNF, which helps with the survival of neurons and encourages growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses, enhancing synaptic plasticity. It also inhibits the protein IP3, along with inhibiting NMDA receptors. IP3 can eventually lead to apoptosis, and if the cell is experiencing glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, NMDA receptor inhibition will help stop the calcium influx. Lithium also has the ability to induce autophagy within the cell by reducing intracellular inositol levels. This is done by inhibiting proteins that uptake extracellular inositol, such as IPPase, IMPase and MIT. An enhancement of autophagy within the cell is a good thing because this allows the cell to clear away unwanted proteins that may have mutated or misfolded, and thus unable to function correctly.
After reading the article about Lithium, I honestly had no idea what it couldn’t do, it just seemed so good for you! Apparently others were also thinking of it, because someone in class asked why we are not taking it as a daily supplement. One of our classmates quickly found out that Lithium, if not used as treatment, can cause nausea and other ill effects. This goes to show that we should always remember that everything is good in moderation.
Superman's Analogous Element
