{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T21:58:20Z","timestamp":1784757500912,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,8,5]],"date-time":"2014-08-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1407196800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Neuroprotection of lithium for axotomized retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is attributed to upregulated intraretinal Bcl-2. As lithium also upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which can rescue axotomized RGCs, it is hypothesized that lithium could protect RGCs through BDNF. This study investigated this hypothesis and a possible relationship between the dose and protection of lithium. All adult experimental rats received daily intraperitoneal injections of lithium chloride (LiCl) at 30, 60 or 85 mg\/kg\u00b7bw until they were euthanized 2, 7 or 14 days after left intraorbital optic nerve (ON) transection. Our results revealed that RGC densities promoted and declined with increased dose of LiCl and the highest RGC densities were always in the 60 mg\/kg\u00b7bw LiCl group at both 7 and 14 day points. Similar promotion and decline in the mRNA and protein levels of intraretinal BDNF were also found at the 14 day point, while such BDNF levels increased in the 30 mg\/kg\u00b7bw LiCl group but peaked in the 60 and 85 mg\/kg\u00b7bw LiCl groups at the 7 day point. These findings suggested that lithium can delay the death of axotomized RGCs in a dose-dependent manner within a certain period after ON injury and such beneficial effect is interrelated with an upregulated level of intraretinal BDNF.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms150813550","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,8,5]],"date-time":"2014-08-05T10:59:37Z","timestamp":1407236377000},"page":"13550-13563","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Dose-Dependent Protective Effect of Lithium Chloride on Retinal Ganglion Cells Is Interrelated with an Upregulated Intraretinal BDNF after Optic Nerve Transection in Adult Rats"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Ming-Mei","family":"Wu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Neurosciences, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ting-Ting","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Beijing Military Region, Beijing 100700, China"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Taiyuan Aier Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Hospital of Beijing Military Region, Beijing, 100700, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fang","family":"Kuang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Neurosciences, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ding-Jun","family":"Hao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Spine Surgery, Xi'an Red Cross Hospital, Xi'an 710054, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Si-Wei","family":"You","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Neurosciences, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yao-Yu","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Beijing Military Region, Beijing 100700, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,8,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1034\/j.1399-5618.2002.01179.x","article-title":"Neuroprotective effects of lithium in cultured cells and animal models of diseases","volume":"4","author":"Chuang","year":"2002","journal-title":"Bipolar Disord."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1615\/CritRevNeurobiol.v16.i12.90","article-title":"Neuroprotective and neurotrophic actions of the mood stabilizer lithium: Can it be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases?","volume":"16","author":"Chuang","year":"2004","journal-title":"Crit. 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