Transfer of sodium ions across the erythrocyte membrane in manic - Depressive illness: Treatment with lithium carbonate

Alan Frazer, Joseph Mendels, David Brunswick, T. Alan Ramsey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The efflux of 22Na from erythrocytes was measured in vitro under experimental conditions such that rate constants due to efflux either by active transport, passive diffusion, or exchange diffusion could be calculated. No significant differences were found in the rate constants for 22Na efflux between seven male bipolar depressed patients and eight male control subjects, who had no personal or family history of psychiatric illness. Treatment of patients with lithium carbonate either for less than one week or for 4-5 weeks produced no changes in the rate constants describing the efflux of 22Na from red cells. Also, addition of 1mM LiCl in vitro did not alter the active transport of 22Na from erythrocytes. These data provide no evidence for either an abnormality in 22Na transfer across the red cell membrane of bipolar depressives or an effect of the lithium ion upon such transfer.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)157-164
Number of pages8
JournalLife Sciences
Volume22
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1978
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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