Abstract-The influence of lithium administration on brain serotonin metabolism and the serum tryptophan level in rats was investigated.The brain tryptophan, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid contents did not change after a single in jection of lithium, but did increase significantly after repeated injections. A single injection of lithium caused a marked decrease in the serum total tryptophan level, but did not change the ratio of free to albumin bound tryptophan.On the contrary, repeated injections of lithium caused a significant increase in serum total tryptophan, and decrease in the ratio of free to bound tryptophan.Addition of lithium ion to normal rat serum in vitro did not change the ratio of free to bound tryptophan. A single injection of lithium produced a marked rise in serum nonesterified fatty acid, which is known to affect the binding of tryptophan by albumin.Lithium salts have been reported to be effective in treatment of mania and are used prophylactically to reduce the frequency of episodes of mania and depression (1). It is not known how lithium exerts the psychotropic effect, although numerous biochemical effects of lithium have been reported, including effects on brain catecholamine metabolism (2, 3), and on the electrolyte balance of the body (4, 5).Conflicting results have been reported on the action of lithium on brain serotonin (5-HT) metabolism (6, 7). However, recently it was reported that chronic administration of lithium increases the content of brain tryptophan and thereby the rate of synthesis of 5-HT in the brain (8). On the other hand, it has been established that the rate of syn thesis of 5-HT in the brain is regulated principally by the level of free tryptophan in the plasma (9). The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of acute or subacute treat ment with lithium on the contents of brain 5-HT and serum total and free tryptophan.
MATERIALS AND METHODSMale Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150 to 170 g and 270 to 300 g were used. Lithi um carbonate was dissolved in water and adjusted to pH 7.3 with N-HC1. As acute treat ment, lithium was injected i.p. as a single dose of 5 mEq/kg. As subacute treatment, in jections of 2 mEq/kg i.p. were given twice daily for 5 days and animals were sacrificed 5 hr after the last injection. Control rats were injected with 5 and 2 mEq/kg of sodium chloride, respectively. Animals were sacrificed by decapitation and the brain quickly removed, homogenized and stored at -20'C until analyzed. Blood was collected in a