Effects of long-term lithium treatment on monoaminergic functions in major depression

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 105; no. 1; pp. 33 - 44
• Main Authors: El Khoury, Aram, Johnson, Lars, Åberg-Wistedt, Anna, Stain-Malmgren, Rigmor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 15.12.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Bipolar Disorder - blood; Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy; Blood Platelets - drug effects; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Carrier Proteins - drug effects; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - blood; Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy; Female; Humans; Lithium; Lithium Carbonate - pharmacokinetics; Lithium Carbonate - therapeutic use; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide - pharmacokinetics; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Membrane Glycoproteins - drug effects; Membrane Transport Proteins; Middle Aged; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neuropharmacology; Paroxetine - pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Platelets; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Radioligand Assay; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 - drug effects; Receptors, Serotonin - drug effects; Serotonin; Serotonin - blood; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Treatment Outcome; Depression; Lithium; Serotonin; Platelets; Human; Mood disorder; Psychotropic; Sex; Bipolar disorder; Long term; 5-HT2 Serotonine receptor; Chemotherapy; Biological fixation; Platelet; Treatment; Follow up study; Mood stabilizer; Young adult; Adult; Antidepressant agent; Biological effect; Pharmacokinetics; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-1781(01)00314-6

Platelet [ 14C]serotonin uptake, the density of serotonin transporters and 5HT 2 receptors, and 5HT 2 and alpha 2 receptor function in platelets were investigated in 29 outpatients (15 women and 14 men) diagnosed as having a major affective disorder (21 bipolar and 8 unipolar). The data were compared with data for 26 healthy volunteers matched for age, sex and season. No differences were found in the mean values for the uptake velocity ( V max) and the affinity ( K m) of the transport carrier for serotonin between patients and controls. However, female patients had lower V max compared to male patients and female control subjects. A positive correlation between plasma lithium and V max and a tendency toward a negative correlation between plasma lithium and K m was observed. Furthermore, there were no differences in platelet B max and K d for [ 3H]paroxetine binding and K d for [ 3H]LSD binding between patients and controls. However, there was an increased number of platelet 5-HT 2 receptors and a difference in serotonin-mediated potentiation of platelet ATP secretion between patients compared to controls, especially in women. The findings in the present study suggest that lithium has a net ameliorating impact on serotonin uptake which may render it resistant to change. They also postulate that the effect of lithium may be attained by a dual influence on postsynaptic serotonergic structures, as it increases both the density and the sensitivity of 5-HT 2 receptors.