title: Lithium lengthens the circadian period of individual suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons.
abstract: Lithium treatment lengthens the period of circadian rhythms in most organisms. In the present study, we tested whether lithium acts directly on the mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to lengthen rhythms of individual neurons. Lithium increased the circadian period of firing rate rhythms of cultured SCN neurons in a concentration-dependent manner. Lithium had no effect on the amplitude of these rhythms, but did affect the period of some cells more than others. The results indicate that lithium acts directly on the SCN to lengthen the free-running period of individual neurons.
authors.affiliation: NSF Center for Biological Timing, Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22903, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Block
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium