Lithium chloride reduced the level of oxidative stress in brains and serums of APP/PS1 double transgenic mice via the regulation of GSK3β/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

The aim of this study is to investigate whether lithium chloride (LiCl) can regulate glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β)/nuclear factor E2 related factor（Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway to reduce the injury of oxidative stress in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. The APP/PS1 double transgenic and wild-type (WT) mice were divided randomly into four groups, i.e. WT, WT + LiCl (LiCl 100 mg/kg by gavage once daily), the transgenic + LiCl and the transgenic groups. The expressions of phosphor-GSK3β (ser9), Nrf2 and HO-1 at protein levels were detected by Western blotting. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by related detection kits. Nissl bodies in different brain regions were examined by Nissl staining. The decreased protein levels of phosphor-GSK3β (ser9), Nrf2 and HO-1, the declined activities of SOD and GSH-Px, the increased content of MDA and the decreased Nissl bodies in neurons were observed in the brains or serums of APP/PS1 mice as compared with WT. The treatment with LiCl attenuated these changes in the levels of GSK3β/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and oxidative stress as well as Nissl bodies induced by APP/PS1 mutation. LiCl reversed the declined activities of SOD and GSH-Px and the increased content of MDA as well as the decreased Nissl bodies in neurons in the brains or serums of APP/PS1 mice, the mechanism of which may be involved in the down-regulation of the activity of GSK3β and consequently enhances the expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1.