Abstract
Lithium is a nutritional trace element, used clinically as an anti‐depressant. Preclinically, lithium has neuroprotective effects in invertebrates and mice, and it can also extend lifespan in fission yeast, C. elegans and Drosophila. An inverse correlation of human mortality with the concentration of lithium in tap water suggests a possible, evolutionarily conserved mechanism mediating longevity. Here, we assessed the effects of lithium treatment on lifespan and ageing parameters in mice. Lithium has a narrow therapeutic dose range, and overdosing can severely affect organ health. Within the tolerable dosing range, we saw some mildly positive effects of lithium on health span but not on lifespan.
Highlights
The anti-depressant and mood stabilizing effects of lithium were discovered the mid 20th century (Cade, 1949, Schou et al, 1954), and administration of lithium salts is still the first-line therapy for bipolar disorders (Alda, 2015)
Human survival across 18 Japanese municipalities correlated with increased lithium level in drinking water (Zarse et al, 2011)
These findings suggest that conserved molecular responses to lithium treatment could improve health during ageing in mammals (Partridge et al, 2020)
Summary
The anti-depressant and mood stabilizing effects of lithium were discovered the mid 20th century (Cade, 1949, Schou et al, 1954), and administration of lithium salts is still the first-line therapy for bipolar disorders (Alda, 2015). A washout effect caused by highly increased drinking behaviour was observed when male and female mice of the same C57Bl/6J strain were treated with 0.64 g LiCl/kg from 19 months of age (Evans et al, 2021).
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