Lithium-Mediated Long-Term Neuroprotection in Neonatal Rat Hypoxia–Ischemia is Associated with Antiinflammatory Effects and Enhanced Proliferation and Survival of Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of lithium treatment on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, inflammation, and neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) proliferation and survival. Nine-day-old male rats were subjected to unilateral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) and 2 mmol/kg lithium chloride was injected intraperitoneally immediately after the insult. Additional lithium injections, 1 mmol/kg, were administered at 24-hour intervals for 7 days. Animals were killed 6, 24, 72 hours, or 7 weeks after HI. Lithium reduced total tissue loss by 69%, from 89.4±14.6 mm(3) in controls (n=15) to 27.6±6.2 mm(3) in lithium-treated animals (n=14) 7 weeks after HI (P<0.001). Microglia activation was inhibited by lithium treatment, as judged by Iba-1 and galectin-3 immunostaining, and reduced interleukin-1β and CCL2 levels. Lithium increased progenitor, rather than stem cell, proliferation in both nonischemic and ischemic brains, as judged by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine labeling 24 and 72 hours as well as by phospho-histone H3 and brain lipid-binding protein labeling 7 weeks after HI. Lithium treatment also promoted survival of newborn NSPCs, without altering the relative levels of neuronal and astroglial differentiation. In summary, lithium conferred impressive, morphological long-term protection against neonatal HI, at least partly by inhibiting inflammation and promoting NSPC proliferation and survival.