title: Effect of chronic lithium treatment on the turnover of alpha2-adrenoceptors after chemical inactivation in rats.
abstract: One of the most effective psychotherapeutic agents in the treatment of bipolar disease is lithium. Chronic lithium treatment affects some signal transduction mechanisms such as cAMP, cGMP, inositol 1,4,5 P(3), Gi protein, protein kinase C and can also modify gene expression in rat brain. In a previous study, we observed a greater inhibitory effect of lithium on cAMP production after blockade of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors in rat cerebral cortex. Here we examine the influence of chronic lithium treatment on turnover of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors after their inactivation by N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) in rat cerebral cortex. After treatment with lithium for 10 days (120 mg/kg/day, i.p.), there was a significant increase in the appearance and disappearance rate constants of these adrenoceptors and a significant reduction of their half-life. These results suggest that chronic lithium administration alters the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor turnover in rat brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. lcarbonell@ub.edu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carbonell
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cuffí
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forn
mesh_terms: D058669:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006207:Half-Life; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011804:Quinolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D058669:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011804:Quinolines; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; D015016:Yohimbine; C000470:EEDQ; D008094:Lithium