title: Chronic lithium does not alter human myo-inositol or phosphomonoester concentrations as measured by 1H and 31P MRS.
abstract: Lithium may act by decreasing intracellular concentrations of myo-inositol. The present study measured the effects of chronic lithium on myo-inositol concentrations in volunteers. Eleven subjects received either lithium (n = 7) or placebo (n = 4) for 7 days in a double-blind study. Myo-inositol concentrations at baseline and day 8 were measured in vivo using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The results showed that lithium did not alter brain myo-inositol concentrations compared to placebo. In 5 other subjects we used 1H MRS and 31P MRS to measure changes in both myo-inositol and phosphomonoester concentrations. This second study showed that lithium did not alter myo-inositol or phosphomonoester concentrations. Thus, the present studies do not support the hypothesis that lithium significantly affects the brain concentrations of myo-inositol or phosphomonoesters; however, it is possible these findings represent an inability to detect the changes in myo-inositol and phosphomonoester concentrations that may have occurred following lithium administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Silverstone
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hanstock
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fabian
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Staab
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism*; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
chemical_list: D007294:Inositol; D008094:Lithium