Lithium decreases Cl--ATPase activity and increases intracellular Cl- concentration in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

Under the conditions of stimulated phosphatidylinositol turnover (0. 1 mM carbachol plus 20 mM KCl), LiCl (0.1-10 mM) reduced the activity of Cl--ATPase in cultured rat hippocampal neurons without affecting Na+/K+- or anion-insensitive Mg2+-ATPase. This inhibition of Cl--ATPase was attenuated by the addition of 0.5 mM inositol to culture media. The intracellular Cl- concentrations of the LiCl-treated neurons increased in an inositol-sensitive manner. Copyright 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.