Effect of lithium on renal gluconeogenesis.

Lithium at a concentration of 5 mM reduced by half gluconeogenesis from di- and tricarboxylic substrates, and abolished the activating effect of dibutyryl-cAMP in the isolated rat kidney cortex tubules. The effect of lithium and ouabain on renal gluconeogenesis is additive. Similarly as by lithium, glucose synthesis is inhibited at higher pH values and increased concentration of bicarbonates. Inhibition of gluconeogenesis by lithium is most probably due to the inhibition of the luminal transport of dicarboxylic substrates into the kidney cell and lowered intracellular metabolism, resulting probably from the increased cytoplasmic pH and bicarbonate concentration.