Antiapoptotic action of lithium and valproate

Lithium and valproate (VPA) have been the most widely prescribed mood stabilizers for the therapy of bipolar disorders (BD) for more than 50 years. However, the precise molecular mechanism of their pharmacological activity is not fully known. Recent studies have suggested that both drugs exert antia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPharmacological reports Vol. 60; no. 6; pp. 771 - 782
Main Authors Bielecka, Anna M, Obuchowicz, Ewa
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland 01.11.2008
Subjects
Animals
Apoptosis - drug effects
Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy
Brain Diseases - drug therapy
Humans
Lithium Compounds - pharmacology
Lithium Compounds - therapeutic use
Signal Transduction - drug effects
Valproic Acid - pharmacology
Valproic Acid - therapeutic use
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Summary:Lithium and valproate (VPA) have been the most widely prescribed mood stabilizers for the therapy of bipolar disorders (BD) for more than 50 years. However, the precise molecular mechanism of their pharmacological activity is not fully known. Recent studies have suggested that both drugs exert antiapoptotic effects. This review focuses on the influence of lithium and VPA on intracellular apoptotic signaling pathways. The active sites, which are implicated in mediating their action, have been described. It has been found that both drugs block the key proapoptotic molecules (GSK-3beta, caspase cascades) and enhance survival pathways (ERK1/2 and Bax proteins). The potential significance of the reported antiapoptotic effects has been discussed.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
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ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:1734-1140