Wnt and Lithium: a Common Destiny in the Therapy of Nervous System Pathologies?

Overview

Journal Cell Mol Life Sci

Publisher Springer

Specialty Biology

Date 2013 Jun 11

PMID 23749084

Citations 23

Authors

Delphine Meffre

Julien Grenier

Sophie Bernard

Francoise Courtin

Todor Dudev

GhjuvanGhjacumu Shackleford

Mehrnaz Jafarian-Tehrani

Charbel Massaad

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Wnt signaling is required for neurogenesis, the fate of neural progenitors, the formation of neuronal circuits during development, neuron positioning and polarization, axon and dendrite development and finally for synaptogenesis. This signaling pathway is also implicated in the generation and differentiation of glial cells. In this review, we describe the mechanisms of action of Wnt signaling pathways and their implication in the development and correct functioning of the nervous system. We also illustrate how a dysregulated Wnt pathway could lead to psychiatric, neurodegenerative and demyelinating pathologies. Lithium, used for the treatment of bipolar disease, inhibits GSK3β, a central enzyme of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thus, lithium could, to some extent, mimic Wnt pathway. We highlight the possible dialogue between lithium therapy and modulation of Wnt pathway in the treatment of the diseases of the nervous system.

Citing Articles

In Vitro Models of Cardiovascular Disease: Embryoid Bodies, Organoids and Everything in Between.

Stougiannou T, Christodoulou K, Karangelis D Biomedicines. 2025; 12(12.

PMID: 39767621 PMC: 11726960. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12122714.

Methylome-wide association study of different responses to risperidone in schizophrenia.

Du H, Ma J, Zhou W, Li M, Huai C, Shen L Front Pharmacol. 2023; 13:1078464.

PMID: 36618913 PMC: 9815458. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1078464.

Nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 5 alleviates Alzheimer's disease-like pathological characteristics in a cell model.

Wang B, Liu W, Sun F Front Mol Neurosci. 2022; 15:1034766.

PMID: 36568274 PMC: 9773259. DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1034766.

Integrated co-expression network analysis uncovers novel tissue-specific genes in major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

Han M, Yuan L, Huang Y, Wang G, Du C, Wang Q Front Psychiatry. 2022; 13:980315.

PMID: 36081461 PMC: 9445988. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.980315.

Scalp Electroacupuncture Promotes Angiogenesis after Stroke in Rats by Activation of Wnt/-Catenin Signal Pathway.

Shi S, Wang M, Liu X, Han S, Zhu P Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022; 2022:1649605.

PMID: 35321503 PMC: 8938052. DOI: 10.1155/2022/1649605.

References

Vink R, Nimmo A . Multifunctional drugs for head injury. Neurotherapeutics. 2008; 6(1):28-42. PMC: 5084254. DOI: 10.1016/j.nurt.2008.10.036. View

Bielecka A, Obuchowicz E . Antiapoptotic action of lithium and valproate. Pharmacol Rep. 2009; 60(6):771-82. View

Deb S, Crownshaw T . The role of pharmacotherapy in the management of behaviour disorders in traumatic brain injury patients. Brain Inj. 2003; 18(1):1-31. DOI: 10.1080/0269905031000110463. View

Chacon M, Varela-Nallar L, Inestrosa N . Frizzled-1 is involved in the neuroprotective effect of Wnt3a against Abeta oligomers. J Cell Physiol. 2008; 217(1):215-27. DOI: 10.1002/jcp.21497. View

Leyhe T, Eschweiler G, Stransky E, Gasser T, Annas P, Basun H . Increase of BDNF serum concentration in lithium treated patients with early Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2009; 16(3):649-56. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2009-1004. View

Salinas P . Modulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton: a role for a divergent canonical Wnt pathway. Trends Cell Biol. 2007; 17(7):333-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2007.07.003. View

Sirakov M, Skah S, Nadjar J, Plateroti M . Thyroid hormone's action on progenitor/stem cell biology: new challenge for a classic hormone?. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012; 1830(7):3917-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2012.07.014. View

Jope R . Lithium and GSK-3: one inhibitor, two inhibitory actions, multiple outcomes. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2003; 24(9):441-3. DOI: 10.1016/S0165-6147(03)00206-2. View

Teunissen C, Dijkstra C, Polman C, Hoogervorst E, von Bergmann K, Lutjohann D . Decreased levels of the brain specific 24S-hydroxycholesterol and cholesterol precursors in serum of multiple sclerosis patients. Neurosci Lett. 2003; 347(3):159-62. DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00667-0. View

10.

Courtin F, Zrouri H, Lamirand A, Li W, Mercier G, Schumacher M . Thyroid hormone deiodinases in the central and peripheral nervous system. Thyroid. 2005; 15(8):931-42. DOI: 10.1089/thy.2005.15.931. View

11.

Quiroz J, Machado-Vieira R, Zarate Jr C, Manji H . Novel insights into lithium's mechanism of action: neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. Neuropsychobiology. 2010; 62(1):50-60. PMC: 2889681. DOI: 10.1159/000314310. View

12.

Janowski B, Willy P, Devi T, Falck J, Mangelsdorf D . An oxysterol signalling pathway mediated by the nuclear receptor LXR alpha. Nature. 1996; 383(6602):728-31. DOI: 10.1038/383728a0. View

13.

Flores 3rd R, Hirota Y, Armstrong B, Sawa A, Tomoda T . DISC1 regulates synaptic vesicle transport via a lithium-sensitive pathway. Neurosci Res. 2011; 71(1):71-7. PMC: 3156137. DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2011.05.014. View

14.

Bianchi P, Ciani E, Contestabile A, Guidi S, Bartesaghi R . Lithium restores neurogenesis in the subventricular zone of the Ts65Dn mouse, a model for Down syndrome. Brain Pathol. 2009; 20(1):106-18. PMC: 8094672. DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2008.00246.x. View

15.

Natsume H, Sasaki S, Kitagawa M, Kashiwabara Y, Matsushita A, Nakano K . Beta-catenin/Tcf-1-mediated transactivation of cyclin D1 promoter is negatively regulated by thyroid hormone. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003; 309(2):408-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.08.019. View

16.

Li B, Kuriyama S, Moreno M, Mayor R . The posteriorizing gene Gbx2 is a direct target of Wnt signalling and the earliest factor in neural crest induction. Development. 2009; 136(19):3267-78. PMC: 2808295. DOI: 10.1242/dev.036954. View

17.

Parker D, Jemison J, Cadigan K . Pygopus, a nuclear PHD-finger protein required for Wingless signaling in Drosophila. Development. 2002; 129(11):2565-76. DOI: 10.1242/dev.129.11.2565. View

18.

Li Z, Nie F, Wang S, Li L . Histone H4 Lys 20 monomethylation by histone methylase SET8 mediates Wnt target gene activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011; 108(8):3116-23. PMC: 3044395. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1009353108. View

19.

Leoni V, Masterman T, Diczfalusy U, De Luca G, Hillert J, Bjorkhem I . Changes in human plasma levels of the brain specific oxysterol 24S-hydroxycholesterol during progression of multiple sclerosis. Neurosci Lett. 2002; 331(3):163-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(02)00887-x. View

20.

Chang L, Jones Y, Ellisman M, Goldstein L, Karin M . JNK1 is required for maintenance of neuronal microtubules and controls phosphorylation of microtubule-associated proteins. Dev Cell. 2003; 4(4):521-33. DOI: 10.1016/s1534-5807(03)00094-7. View