Calcium homeostasis in long-term lithium-treated women with bipolar affective disorder

• Published in: Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry 2002-10, Vol.26 (6), p.1063-1069
• Main Authors: El Khoury, Aram, Petterson, Ulla, Kallner, Gunnar, Åberg-Wistedt, Anna, Stain-Malmgren, Rigmor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenylyl Cyclases - metabolism; Adult; Aequorin; Biological and medical sciences; Bipolar affective disorder; Bipolar Disorder - complications; Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy; Bipolar Disorder - metabolism; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Calcium - metabolism; Calibration; Cell Membrane - drug effects; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cyclic AMP - blood; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electrolytes - blood; Extracellular Space - drug effects; Extracellular Space - metabolism; Female; Homeostasis - drug effects; Humans; Intracellular calcium; Lithium; Lithium - adverse effects; Lithium - therapeutic use; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Platelets; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Thyrotropin - blood
• ISSN: 0278-5846; 1878-4216
• DOI: 10.1016/S0278-5846(02)00223-3

The authors investigated the effect of long-term lithium administration on intracellular calcium mobilization. The subjects were 13 women with bipolar affective disorder stabilized on lithium and 12 matched healthy controls. Total and ionized serum calcium, intracellular calcium ion concentration, plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) and tyrotropin (TSH), serum electrolytes and cyclic AMP (cAMP) activity in platelets were measured. The serum electrolytes sodium, potassium and creatinine and plasma PTH and TSH were all within normal ranges in patients and controls and no differences were found between the two groups. No difference was found in basal and prostaglandin E1 (PGE 1)-stimulated cAMP generation in platelets between patients and controls. However, total serum calcium and ionized serum calcium levels were higher in patients than in controls and there was a significant correlation between these two measures. In the patient group, serum lithium concentration correlated positively with stimulated levels of intracellular calcium in platelets. In the present study, no distinct hyperparathyroidism was found in lithium-treated patients. However, our findings indicate that lithium administration affects calcium metabolism in patients with bipolar affective disorder inducing mild hypercalcemia and a dose-dependent normalized calcium mobilization. Furthermore, our results did not support the hypothesis that lithium's primary site of action in bipolar illness may be on signal transduction mechanisms.