title: Lithium research: does it lead to an integrative hypothesis for the manic-melancholic disorders?
abstract: 1. The effects of lithium on electrolyte metabolism can be demonstrated in man in acute as well as in long-term lithium treatment. 2. It seems feasible to integrate these lithium effects with effects on biogenic amines to form an integral hypothesis for lithium action in manic-malancholic man. 3. The results are consistent with one of the following two hypotheses: a) that lithium acts by membrane stabilization and/or b) that lithium acts by interplay with magnesium or one or more enzymes. 4. The above findings and hypotheses direct attention to membrane dyfunction as the basic defect in manic-melancholic states. This may find support in preliminary findings of special HL-A profiles in unipolar and bioplar manic-melancholic patentis. 5.  A four-type pump-defect model may theoretically account for the various clinical types of affective disorders.
mesh_terms: D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008566:Membranes / Q000502:physiology; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D008094:Lithium; D008274:Magnesium; D005947:Glucose