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Chronic treatment with both lithium and sodium valproate may normalize phosphoinositol cycle activity in bipolar patients
Author(s) -
Silverstone Peter H.,
Wu Ren H.,
O'Donnell Tina,
Ulrich Michele,
Asghar Sheila J.,
Hanstock Christopher C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.420
Subject(s) - bipolar disorder , lithium (medication) , mood stabilizer , medicine , endocrinology , treatment of bipolar disorder , mood , psychology , sodium , inositol , chemistry , psychiatry , mania , receptor , organic chemistry
Background It has been proposed that lithium may be clinically effective due to its actions on the phosphoinositol second messenger system (PI‐cycle). Studies have also suggested that untreated manic patients may have raised myo ‐inositol and phosphomonoester (PME) concentrations and also that unmedicated euthymic bipolar patients may have lowered PME concentrations. The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that chronic treatment with either lithium or sodium valproate in patients with bipolar mood disorder leads to a normalization in the activity of the PI‐cycle. Methods This study had two parts each with different MRS methodology. The first part compared healthy controls ( n = 19) with euthymic bipolar patients who were taking either lithium ( n = 16) or sodium valproate ( n = 11) using both 1 H‐MRS and 31 P‐MRS. In the second part we examined a separate group of euthymic bipolar disorder patients taking sodium valproate ( n = 9) and compared these with age and sex‐matched healthy controls ( n = 11) using 1 H‐MRS. Results Both studies showed that there were no differences in either myo ‐inositol or phosphomonoester (PME) concentrations between controls and patients taking either medication. Conclusions These findings examine two key components of the PI‐cycle in treated euthymic bipolar ( myo ‐inositol and PME concentrations). The results from this study are consistent with the suggestion that chronic treatment with either lithium or sodium valproate in bipolar patients may normalize PI‐cycle functioning. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.