Published June 2024 | Version v1
Journal article

Lithium and endocrine disruption: A concern for human health?

Others:
Centre méditerranéen de médecine moléculaire (C3M) ; Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)
Direction de l'Evaluation des Risques (DER) ; Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES)
ToxAlim (ToxAlim) ; Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Purpan (INP - PURPAN) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE)
Physiologie moléculaire et adaptation (PhyMA) ; Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Neuroscience Paris Seine (NPS) ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS) ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Description

Lithium is a key medication for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and is also used in various industrial applications (including battery production and recycling). Here, we review published data on the endocrine-disrupting potential of lithium, with a particular focus on the thyroid hormone system. To this end, we used PubMed and Scopus databases to search for, select and review primary research addressing human and animal health endpoints during or after lithium exposure at non-teratogenic doses. Given the key role of thyroid hormones in neurodevelopmental processes, we focused at studies of the neural effects of developmental exposure to lithium in humans and animals. Our results show that lithium meets the World Health Organization's definition of a thyroid hormone system disruptor - particularly when used at therapeutic doses. When combined with knowledge of adverse outcome pathways linking molecular initiating events targeting thyroid function and neurodevelopmental outcomes, the neurodevelopmental data reported in animal experiments prompt us to suggest that lithium influences neurodevelopment. However, we cannot rule out the involvement of additional modes of action (i.e. unrelated to the thyroid hormone system) in the described neural effects. Given the increasing use of lithium salts in new technologies, attention must be paid to this emerging pollutant - particularly with regard to its potential effects at environmental doses on the thyroid hormone system and potential consequences on the developing nervous system.

Abstract

International audience

Additional details

Created:
July 27, 2024
Modified:
July 27, 2024