Effects of lithium on vasopressin-dependent cyclic AMP in rat renal medulla

A vasopressin resistant urinary concentrating defect has been described in patients receiving lithium salt for affective disorders. For the pathogenic mechanism of the concentrating defect it has been postulated that lithium inhibits the vasopressin-dependent cyclic AMP system. However, the results of indirect studies on the lithium effect are equivocal. Therefore, the effect of lithium specifically on the vasopressin-dependent cyclic AMP system was investigated in rat renal medulla. The increase of cyclic AMP concentration by vasopressin was inhibited by lithium. But lithium had no effect on the PTH-dependent cyclic AMP concentration in renal cortical slices. Regardless of magnesium concentrations from 0-10 mM in the incubation media, 10 mM lithium had no moeasurable effect on the vasopressin-dependent adenylate cyclase of rat renal medulla. However, 10 mM lithium augmented the cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase activity in renal medulla in the high Km system. These results suggest that lithium inhibits the vasopressin-dependent cyclic AMP concentration in renal medulla via the augmentation of its catabolism, rather than via the inhibition of cyclic AMP generation.