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Lithium salts have been in use for the treatment of bipolar disorder for more than 50 years, but their pharmacological mode of action remains a matter of conjecture. Li+ and Mg2+ share many physicochemical properties. Not surprisingly, many reported cellular targets for Li+ action involve Mg2+-activated enzymes, which are inhibited by Li+. In this Account, we describe results from our and other laboratories that suggest that a competition mechanism between Li+ and Mg2+ ions for Mg2+-binding sites in cellular components is the underlying theme in putative mechanisms of Li+ action.

An efficient method has been found for the preparation of cyclic monodithioacetats of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds using boron trifluoride etherate as the acid catalyst. Asymmetric 1,3-diketones react regioselectively in most of the cases tried. A study of the 13C and 1H nmr characteristics of these compounds has been carried out.

Macroscopic and microscopic protonation of the title compounds (I)-(III), prepared by published methods, is studied using potentiometry and multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.