Lithium and GSK-3: one inhibitor, two inhibitory actions, multiple outcomes.
The intrigue of lithium, the simplest drug in the modern pharmacopoeia, extends from its complex actions in cells to its therapeutic effects as a mood stabilizer. New surprises from studies of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) show that lithium reduces GSK-3 activity in two ways, both directly and by increasing the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3. These dual effects can act in concert to magnify the influence of lithium on crucial GSK-3-regulated functions (gene expression, cell structure and survival).
Jope
Richard S
RS
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave South, Sparks Center 1057, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0017, USA. jope@uab.edu
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008094:Lithium; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3