Effect of lithium on acetylcholine esterase activity, and isozyme pattern in developing chick brain

Abstract

Acetylcholine Esterase is an enzyme, which hydrolyses acetylcholine and is used as a marker for cholinergic neural function. It is known to be involved in synaptogenesis. While on one hand it is known to be a marker for the developing chick brain it is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. In vertebrates the protein is synthesized by a single gene and undergoes alternative splicing to give 6-8 isoforms. Isozyme patterns of acetylcholine esterase have been suggested to be useful prognostic markers of neuronal degeneration. Lithium a well-known teratogen is known to induce apoptosis in the developing chick brain. Understanding the dynamics of acetylcholine esterase isoform pattern in lithium induced neural tissue damage would help elucidating the role of these isoforms in frank neurodegenerative diseases. We have therefore studied activity and isozyme pattern of acetylcholine esterase in lithium treated and control 7 day old developing chick brain and report the same.