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Lithium and GSK-3: one inhibitor, two inhibitory actions, multiple outcomes

2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 24; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0165-6147(03)00206-2

1873-3735

Richard S. Jope,

Skin and Cellular Biology Research

Abstract 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).