lithium chloride

Lithium chloride is an inorganic compound and a small molecule salt of lithium. It is primarily used in medicine as an injection for cardiac output measurement, but its main clinical relevance comes from the broader class of lithium salts (such as lithium carbonate), which are widely used as mood stabilizers in psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder. Lithium's mechanism of action involves inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 alpha, among other targets, leading to downstream effects on neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitter modulation. Lithium alters sodium transport in nerve and muscle cells and affects the reuptake of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, contributing to its mood-stabilizing properties[1][4]. While most clinical use is with other salts (notably carbonate), the pharmacological actions are due to the lithium ion itself.

Other names

lithium muriaticum