Lithium corticotropin

Owens MJ, Vargas AM, Nemeroff CB The effects of alprazolam on corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the rat brain implications for a role for CRF in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorder. J Psychiatr Res 27 (suppl 1) 209, 1993 Ozaki N, Chuang DM Lithium increases transcription factor binding to AP-1 and cyclic AMP-responsive element in cultured neurons and rat brain. J Neurochem 69 2336-2344, 1997... 

Vaccarino FJ Nucleus accumbens dopamine-CCK interactions in psychostimulant reward and related behaviours. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 18 207-214, 1994 Vadnal R, Parthasarathy R Myo-inositol monophosphatase diverse effects of lithium, carbamazepine, and valproate. Neuropsychopharmacology 12 277-285, 1995 Vale W, Spiess J, Rivier C, et al Characterization of a 41 residue ovine hypothalamic peptide that stimulates secretion of corticotropin of 3-endorphin. Science 213 1394-1397, 1981... 

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in bipolar disorder has been reviewed, but lithium was mentioned only in passing (617). Two studies (n = 25, n = 24), possibly reporting many of the same patients, showed that lithium augmentation of antidepressant-resistant unipolar depression increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, measured by the dexamethasone suppression test, either alone or combined with the corticotropin releasing hormone test (618,619). However, the tests did not distinguish between lithium responders and nonresponders. 

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