Inhibition by lithium of cyclic GMP formation without inhibition of nitric oxide generation in the mouse neuroblastoma cell (N1E-115)

Neuropsychopharmacology. 1994 Oct;11(2):119-24. doi: 10.1038/npp.1994.41.

Abstract

We investigated the effects of lithium ion (Li+) on muscarinic receptor-mediated nitric oxide (NO) generation, and guanylate cyclase (GCase) activation using the mouse neuroblastoma clone, N1E-115. The levels of released NO were determined by measuring the levels of nitrite/nitrate in the incubation medium, and the activity of GCase was measured with an assay for cellular cyclic [3H] GMP levels. We determined that Li+ had no effects on muscarinic receptor-activated elevation of nitrite/nitrate levels, which were significantly inhibited by 100 microM L-NG-monomethylarginine, although it has been reported that Li+ inhibits muscarinic receptor-activated cyclic GMP formation in the cells. In addition, Li+ inhibited the cyclic GMP formation induced by an NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), in both intact cells and a crude cellular homogenate; thus, the inhibition by Li+ of muscarinic receptor-mediated cyclic GMP synthesis appeared to be at the level of GCase, but not NO synthase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arginine / analogs & derivatives
  • Arginine / pharmacology
  • Brain Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Carbachol / pharmacology
  • Cyclic GMP / biosynthesis*
  • Guanylate Cyclase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Lithium / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Muscarinic Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Neuroblastoma / enzymology
  • Neuroblastoma / metabolism*
  • Nitric Oxide / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nitric Oxide / biosynthesis*
  • Nitroprusside / pharmacology
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • omega-N-Methylarginine

Substances

  • Muscarinic Antagonists
  • Nitroprusside
  • omega-N-Methylarginine
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Carbachol
  • Arginine
  • Lithium
  • Guanylate Cyclase
  • Cyclic GMP