Lithium delivery enhances bone growth during midpalatal expansion

Lithium is an activator of β-catenin signaling,and β-catenin mediates bone acquisition in response to mechanical loading in the bone. we tested the hypothesis that lithium enhances new bone formation during midpalatal suture expansion. forty-eight wistar rats with or without suture expansion were gavage-fed daily with lithium chloride or sodium chloride. we labeled the rats with bromodeoxyuridine to evaluate the proliferation and differentiation of the osteoprogenitors. lithium increased β-catenin expression and cell proliferation in expanding sutures. initial delay in the differentiation of osteoprogenitors into mature osteoblasts by lithium treatment corresponded with expansion of pre-osteoblasts,which preceded the increase of new bone formation in the suture. these results suggested that β-catenin regulates proliferation of osteoprogenitors and maturation of osteoblasts during midpalatal suture expansion osteogenesis,and that lithium enhances bone regeneration by elevating β-catenin expression. lithium treatment could be a pharmaceutical aid to improve the stability of orthodontic treatment like rapid palatal expansion. © international & american associations for dental research.