Lithium significantly reduced TMT-induced neuronal cell death in the mouse hippocampus.

<p>(A) Bar graphs in the left panel show that lithium administration significantly reduced the density of Fluoro-jade B (FJB)-positive degenerating neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) of adult mouse hippocampus 2, 4 and 7 days after TMT treatment. Representative photomicrographs (right panels) of FJB (Green) and DAPI stained granular cells (Blue) in the DG of adult hippocampus in TMT-treated mice (upper panel) and TMT+lithium-treated mice (lower panel). Scale bars = 30 µm. (B) Bar graphs in the left panels show that lithium treatment significantly reduced neuronal cell loss in the DG of mice 2, 4 and 7 days after TMT treatment. Representative photomicrographs (right panels) of NeuN immunoreactivity in the DG of adult hippocampus of control (Cont), lithium-treated (Li), TMT-treated (TMT) and TMT+lithium-treated mice (TMT+Li). Scale bars = 200 µm. The data are reported as the means±SEM (<i>n</i> = 3 per group). *<i>p</i><0.05, **<i>p</i><0.01, ***<i>p</i><0.001 <i>vs.</i> controls. ^†<i>p</i><0.05, ^††<i>p</i><0.01, ^†††<i>p</i><0.001 <i>vs.</i> TMT-treated mice. Cont, controls; Li, lithium-treated mice; TMT, TMT-treated mice; TMT+Li, TMT+lithium-treated mice.