Modulation of G/PLC-Mediated Signaling by Acute Lithium Exposure.

Although lithium has long been one of the most widely used pharmacological agents in psychiatry, its mechanisms of action at the cellular and molecular levels remain poorly understood. One of the targets of Li is the phosphoinositide pathway, but whereas the impact of Li on inositol lipid metabolism is well documented, information on physiological effects at the cellular level is lacking. We examined in two mammalian cell lines the effect of acute Li exposure on the mobilization of internal Ca and phospholipase C (PLC)-dependent membrane conductances.