Na/K-ATPase level and products of lipid peroxidation in live cells treated with therapeutic lithium for different periods in time (1, 7, and 28 days); studies of Jurkat and HEK293 cells.

Regulation of Na/K-ATPase in bipolar disorder and lithium therapy has been investigated for more than 40 years. Contradictory results in this area may be caused by the difference between acute and long-term Li effects on cell metabolism and variance in responsiveness of different cell types. We compared the time-course of Li action focusing on Na/K-ATPase and lipid peroxidation in two widely different cell models-Jurkat and HEK293. Na/K-ATPase expression level was determined in cells cultivated in the absence or presence of 1 mM Li for different time spans (1, 7, and 28 days) using [H] ouabain binding and immunoblot assay of α-subunit. In parallel samples, the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) was quantified by HPLC, and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) protein adducts were determined by immunoblot. Cultivation of Jurkat cells in 1 mM Li medium resulted in downregulation of Na/K-ATPase (decrease of [H] ouabain-biding sites and intensity of immunoblot signals) in all Li-groups. In HEK293 cells, the decrease of Na/K-ATPase was observed after the acute, 1-day exposure only. The long-term treatment with Li resulted in Na/K-ATPase upregulation. MDA and 4-HNE modified proteins were decreased in Jurkat cells in all Li-groups. On the other hand, in HEK293 cells, MDA concentration was decreased after the acute, 1-day Li exposure only; the long-term cultivations, for 7 or 28 days, resulted in a significant increase of lipid peroxidation products. The Li-induced decrease of lipid peroxidation products was associated with the decrease of Na/K-ATPase level and vice versa.