Lithium in medicine

Post RM, Leverich GS, Pazzaglia PJ, et al Lithium tolerance and discontinuation as pathways to refractoriness, in Lithium in Medicine and Biology. Edited by Birch NJ, Padgham C, Hughes MS. Lancashire, England, Marius Press, 1993b, pp 71-84... 

The use of lithium in medicine has been the subject of recent reviews by Birch,81 Birch and Sadler29 and references therein, and Tosteson.82 Historically, the use of lithium in medicine began with the treatment of gout and rheumatics in 1859. For the following 90 years, lithium was proposed for a variety of disorders and then discarded for example, lithium bromide was considered to be an effective sedative. In 1949 lithium was introduced into psychiatric practice and lithium carbonate, LijCOj, became the first of the modern psychotropic drugs. In a review of double-blind trials Schou and Thomsen (1975) support the prophylactic use of this drug in bipolar (manic-depressive) illness. 

Simple metal ions can affect profoundly a wide range of activities of physiological processes and cause subtle changes in biological function. The use of lithium in medicine is a very clear example of this. It has been the belief of one of us (NJB) for many years that the diversity of lithium effects reflects a very fundamental biochemical level of... 

Schafer U (1998) Past and present conceptions concerning the use of lithium in medicine. J Trace Micoprobe Techn 16 535-556. 

In view of the influence of a complex matrix on the FD determination, e.g. in physiological fluids and tissues, and the importance of the use of lithium in medicine a further step was to exploit the utility of FDMS in combination w th signal accumulation and stable isotope dilution (internal standard) in this field. Lithium salts are used in the chemotherapy of manic-depressive psychoses . The transport phenomena of lithium through cell membranes and the mode of therapeutic action in elevated lithium levels are areas of biomedical research which are of special interest for the therapy of certain affective disorders. Concerning the accurate determination of very small lithium concentrations in the range of the normal physiological level, there is a special need for a reliable analytical technique, in particular, if only microliters of the sample are available. 

Some elements found in body tissues have no apparent physiological role, but have not been shown to be toxic. Examples are mbidium, strontium, titanium, niobium, germanium, and lanthanum. Other elements are toxic when found in greater than trace amounts, and sometimes in trace amounts. These latter elements include arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, silver, zirconium, beryUium, and thallium. Numerous other elements are used in medicine in nonnutrient roles. These include lithium, bismuth, antimony, bromine, platinum, and gold (Eig. 1). The interactions of mineral nutrients with... 

The present volume is the fourth in the series and covers the topics lithium in biology, the structure and function of ceruloplasmin, rhenium complexes in nuclear medicine, the anti-HIV activity of macrocyclic polyamines and their metal complexes, platinum anticancer dmgs, and functional model complexes for dinuclear phosphoesterase enzymes. The production of this volume has been overshadowed by a very sad event—the passing away of the senior editor, Professor Robert W. Hay. It was he who conceived the idea of producing this series and who more than anyone else has been responsible for its continuation. A tribute by one of his many friends, Dr. David Richens, is included in this Volume. 

Lithium bromide is used in absorption, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. A highly concentrated solution of the salt is an efficient absorbent of water vapor. The vapor pressure of such solution is very low. Other applications include the use of the salt as a swelling agent for wool, hair and other organic fibers as a catalyst in dehydrohalogenation reactions and as a sedative and hypnotic in medicine. 

Lithium carbonate is used in enamels, specialty glasses and special ceramic wares. It is used to produce glazes on ceramics and porcelains. It also is used as an additive to molten aluminum fluoride electrolyte in Hall-Heroult process. It is the starting material to prepare many other hthium salts. The compound also is used in medicine as an antidepressant. 

Lithium sulfate is used in making a special type of high strength glass. It also is used in medicine as an antidepressant. 

Inorganic biochemists are also interested in two other classes of metals those that occur as environmental or other pollutants (lead, cadmium, mercury, aluminum in Alzheimer s disease etc.), and those which are important in medicine (lithium in mental health, platinum in anticancer drugs, gold in rheumatoid arthritis). The last group is considered in Chapter 62.2. 

The use of lithium in psychiatry has varied historically. In the nineteenth century, lithium salts were employed in the treatment of anxiety, as well as gout and seizures. The importance of lithium s antimanic actions was indirectly discovered, in 1949, with observations that it produced a calming effect in animals. Human testing in agitated or manic patients followed, with encouraging results. However, lithium s use did not gain acceptance in American medicine until 1970, due to safety concerns... 

Many salts of ternary acids are used in medicine. Lithium carbonate, Li2C03, has been used successfully to combat severe jet lag. Lithium carbonate is also useful in the treatment of mania, depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia. Magnesium sulfate, MgS04, sometimes helps to prevent convulsions during pregnancy and to reduce the solubihty of toxic barium sulfate in internally administered preparations consumed before gastrointestinal X-ray films are taken. 

Metallic elements used in medicine include lithium for treating manic depressive illness, platinum complexes such as c/.s-platin (2), which act as antitumor agents by combining with DNA and inhibiting cell division, and gold compounds used to treat arthritis. 

Uses. — Lithium compounds are used in increasing amounts in the manufacture of glass. The. chief uses of lithium salts for some years has I men in medicine and pyrotechnics. 

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