The effect of lithium chloride on renal structure and sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase activity in dogs

Lithium chloride was given intraperitoneally to dogs at a dosage of 125 mg/kg body weight for three days. Kidneys were removed for morphologic examination and quantitation of sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) activities in cortical and medullary tissue. Light microscopy showed no changes in the kidneys, but cytoplasmic vacuolation and dilatation of the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum were seen ultrastructurally in the epithelial cells of the distal tubule and cortical and medullary collecting ducts. Mean cortical Na-K-ATPase activity was 1.49 +/- 0.25 and 1.70 +/- 0.31 mumoles inorganic phosphate/mg protein/hour in control and experimental groups respectively. Mean medullary Na-K-ATPase activity was 4.71 +/- 0.41 and 5.01 +/- 0.47 mumoles inorganic phosphate/mg protein/hour in control and experimental groups respectively. It was concluded that lithium produced morphologic changes in the distal nephron, but had no effect on renal Na-K-ATPase activity.