Differential expression profile between amygdala and blood during chronic lithium treatment in a rat model of depression – a pilot study

Lithium is a mood stabilizer widely used in the pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder and treatment resistant depression. Taking into account dysregulated inflammatory activity in depression and the immunomodulatory role of lithium, we hypothesized that genes associated with inflammatory responses may be potential biomarkers of lithium action. We aimed to compare gene expression changes between the brain and the periphery after chronic lithium administration in an animal model of depression. Depressive behavior was induced by chronic mild stress protocol for 4 weeks. After 2 weeks, rats started to receive lithium (study group) or water (reference group). The control group were rats not exposed to stress. Amygdala, hippocampus, frontal cortex and peripheral blood were analyzed using whole transcriptome expression microarrays. Changes were confirmed with qPCR and ELISA assay. After 2 weeks of lithium administration, we observed significant changes in gene expression between amygdala and peripheral blood. Logistic regression analysis determined Alox15 expression as a predictor of lithium status, as its expression was tissue specific and increased in amygdala and decreased in blood. Analysis of serum ALOX15 protein revealed its upregulation after two week lithium administration. Our study suggests that lithium may have therapeutic potential in depressive behaviors. These results indicate immunomodulatory effect of lithium and that Alox15 may be a new potential marker of chronic lithium treatment.