Protective effects of lithium on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial disease with unknown etiology characterized by oxidative stress, leukocyte infiltration, and rise in inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). Lithium, as a therapeutic agent for bipolar disorder, exerts some anti-inflammatory properties. In this study we have investigated the effects of lithium on acetic-acid-induced colitis in rats. Lithium (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) was administered 1 h before the introduction of acetic acid. Colonic status was investigated 24 h following colitis induction through macroscopic, histological, and biochemical analyses. Lithium (20 mg/kg) ameliorated macroscopic and microscopic scores. These observations were accompanied by a reduction in the degree of both neutrophil infiltration, indicated by decreased myeloperoxidase activity, and lipid peroxidation, as measured by a decline in malondialdehyde content in inflamed colon as well as a decrease in TNF-alpha levels. These findings suggest that lithium exerts beneficial effects on experimental colitis and therefore might be useful in the treatment of IBD.