Inhibition of transducin by lithium: electrophysiological demonstration using the isolated retina |
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| Authors: | G Meyniel M Doly G Gaillard |
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| Institution: | Laboratoire de Biophysique, I.N.S.E.R.M. U. n. 71, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Clermont-Ferrand. |
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| Abstract: | Recently Avissar et al. have established that Li+ can inhibit G proteins implicated in brain function. In order to investigate the effect of Li+ on transducin, the evolution of the electroretinogram (ERG) recorded on isolated rat retina has been studied in presence of lithium. Results indicate that 10(-5) M Li+ had no effect on ERG while 10(-3) M Li+, which corresponds to therapeutic blood levels, significantly decreases ERG amplitude. This effect being nearly totally inhibited by cholera toxin (75 micrograms/l), it is concluded that Li+ acts on transducin and so inhibits the visual transduction process. |
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