Effect of pre and postnatal lithium chloride ingestion on the developing mouse.

The effect of pre and postnatal maternal ingestion of 1 mEq LiCl, given ad libitum in drinking water, on neonatal development was studied in the mouse. The measurements made included evaluation of body and selected organ weights of the weaning offspring. In addition, determination of weaning mouse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (L-ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (L-ALDH) were performed to assess the sensitivity of the offspring to ethanol intoxication due to the clinical trials of lithium salts in alcoholism. Heart lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes were also assayed to assess developmental aspects of the offspring. Little changes occurred in body weight and only moderate increase in spleen weight was noted without concomitant changes in brain, kidney or liver weight of the nursing dams. Maternal Li+ exposure resulted in increased kidney, liver and spleen but not brain weights from controls in the weaning animals. This effect was greater in the female than in the male offspring. The weaning mice showed an induction of L-ALDH as a consequence of maternal Li-treatment. No changes occurred in the other hepatic and cardiac enzymes studied. The results suggest sex-dependent neonatal sensitivity towards maternal ingestion of a small concentration of LiCl in drinking fluid. Hepatic changes of L-ALDH may represent an early expression of hepatic toxicity in the weaning mouse.