| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2011 | Volume
: 43
| Issue : 4 | Page : 433-436 |
Antidiabetic and vasoprotective activity of lithium: Role of glycogen synthase kinase-3
Nilesh R Kanzariya, Rameshvar K Patel, Natvar J Patel
Department of Pharmacology, S. K. Patel College of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Ganpat University, Kherva, Gujarat, India
Correspondence Address:
Nilesh R Kanzariya
Department of Pharmacology, S. K. Patel College of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Ganpat University, Kherva, Gujarat
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.83116
Objectives: Lithium is a drug of choice in maniac disorder. Lithium inhibits the glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), an enzyme involved in the insulin signalling pathway. Elevated levels of GSK-3 were found in diabetic rats and humans. We aimed to determine the effect of lithium chloride in diabetes and associated vascular complications in diabetic rats.
Materials and Methods: Type 2 diabetes was induced by high fat diet and low dose of streptozotocin. Diabetic rats were divided into diabetic control and lithium chloride treatment groups. Lithium chloride was used as a GSK-3 inhibitor. The treatment was given for 4 weeks. Various biochemical parameters were measured before initiation and the end of treatment. Systolic blood pressure was measured by the non-invasive tail-cuff method, while various biochemical and tissue parameters were estimated for efficacy. Vasoreactivity was performed by taking the contractile response of H 2 O 2 (10 -6 M to 10 -3 M) and angiotensin II (10 -11 to 10 -7 M) in rat thoracic aortas of different groups. Statistical comparisons between all groups were performed by using two tailed one-way ANOVA followed by the Dunnett test. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: Treatment with lithium chloride significantly reduced the augmented systolic blood pressure, various biochemical parameters, and antioxidant parameters in diabetic-treated rats. Treatment also showed the decrease in augmented responses of H 2 O 2 and angiotensin II in rat thoracic aortas of treated rats.
Conclusions: We can conclude that lithium chloride treatment reduces the diabetic state as well as diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction.
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