title: The calcium second messenger system in bipolar disorders: data supporting new research directions.
abstract: Studies of aberrations in second messenger function may help to elucidate some of the multiple complex neurobiological alterations in bipolar affective disorders. The phosphatidylinositol and calcium ion (Ca2+) second messengers are of particular interest because of evidence of hyperactivity of these signaling mechanisms in both mania and bipolar depression and of their normalization by lithium and other mood-stabilizing treatments. Because the intracellular Ca2+ signal has a biphasic action, a single aberration could explain diverse clinical manifestations of the same illness, and a single action on the messenger could explain the biphasic actions of many treatments for bipolar disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dubovsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Christiano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000502:physiology; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000502:physiology; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D002118:Calcium