Effects of acute lithium administration on conditioned avoidance behavior and monoamine synthesis in rats

Abstract

The effect of a single injection of various doses of lithium chloride was tested on conditioned avoidance behavior and on the accumulation of DOPA and 5-HTP after inhibition of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase. Lithium specifically suppressed conditioned avoidance behavior and reduced formation of DOPA, but not 5-HTP. The behavioral effect of lithium could be completely antagonized with additional L-DOPA treatment. The results indicate that lithium has a neuroleptlike effect on avoidance behavior, and it is suggested that some of the behavioral effects of lithium may be mediated via interference with central catecholaminergic mechanisms.

The effect of lithium on the locomotor stimulation induced by dependence-producing drugs

“…Jacobsen, 1959;Borsyet al, 1960). These findings are in agreement with the contention that lithium in acute experiments has a neuroleptlike behavioural profile (see Engel and Berggren, 1980). Lithium suppressed locomotor stimulation induced by amphetamine, ethanol or morphine.…”

The effect of acute lithium administration on brain monoamine synthesis and the precursor amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan in brain and plasma in rats

“…This finding suggests that the decreased synthesis of 5-HT in lithiumtreated rats is not due to shortage of substrate but rather to other mechanisms, such as lithium-induced decrease of the activity of tryptophan hydroxylase, which has been described by Mandell and Knapp (1976). In our earlier work, Berggren et al (1980), we found no effect on 5-HT synthesis in the limbic forebrain or the striatum following acute lithium administration of approximately the same dose as given in the present work, indicating that the decreased 5-HT synthesis occurs in other brain regions. Furthermore acute lithium administration appears to affect 5-HT synthesis to a greater extent than it affects catecholamine synthesis.…”

“…However, since manipulations with the precursor amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan in animals have been shown to affect brain catecholamine synthesis and 5-HT synthesis respectively (Carlsson and Lindwist, 1978) some reports suggest that lithium may affect brain monoamine synthesis in animals via its efect an brain tyrosine (Berggren et aL, 1980) and brain tryptophan levels (Perez-Cruet et al, 1971;Schubert, 1973).…”

Comparison of the Changes in Central Catecholamine Systems following Short- and Long-Term Lithium Treatment and the Consequences of Lithium Withdrawal

“…Segal et al [1975] found an increase in striatal tyrosine hydroxylase activity following 8 days of Li treatment. In contrast, Friedman and Gershon [1973] noted a decrease in striatal DA synthesis after 14 days of Li treatment, while Berggren et al [1980] demonstrated a decrease in dopa accumulation following treatment with an aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor after acute Li administration. Both the present data and those previously reported [Ahluwalia and Singhal.…”