The effect of lithium treatment on collagenous tissues: an electron microscope study.

Structural alterations of mouse skin collagen fibrils brought about by treatment with lithium chloride at various doses, as studied by electron microscopy, are discussed. The effect of the duration of treatment on such fibrils is also investigated. An analysis of positive staining patterns from fibrils from mice treated with lithium is included. In addition, this review describes how computer analyses of electron-optical images from collagen fibrils can lead to information about the changes produced by lithium on the molecular architecture of the fibril.