title: Peripheral versus central manifestations in the toxic interaction of lithium and pilocarpine.
abstract: Administration of a cholinomimetic agent 24 hr after a single injection of lithium chloride results in a profoundly toxic interaction. The lethality of the interaction was completely blocked by prior administration of scopolamine, but was not reduced by the peripherally acting cholinergic antagonist methscopolamine. Examination of the relative time courses of central neurotoxic and peripheral cholinergic manifestations showed that the peripheral manifestations were transient and were not enhanced by lithium pretreatment. The profoundly toxic consequences of lithium-cholinomimetic interaction may thus occur in the absence of enhanced cholinergic function in the periphery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Jerusalem Mental Health Center-Ezrath Nashim Hospital, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hamburger-Bar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lerer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000633:toxicity*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D008094:Lithium / Q000633:toxicity*; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D008297:Male; D019832:N-Methylscopolamine; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects*; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012602:Scopolamine Derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D012602:Scopolamine Derivatives; D010862:Pilocarpine; D008094:Lithium; D012601:Scopolamine; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D019832:N-Methylscopolamine