title: Lithium overdosage and related tests.
abstract: Lithium acts biochemically through the inositol depletion in brain cortex. At low doses, however, it is partly effective and/or ineffective, whereas in high concentrations is toxic. We would like to make one point about this review. In fact, in our view, the patient should be given a support to correct hypernatremia and even sodium levels should be tested serially-along with serum lithium concentrations-because high sodium levels reduce the rate of elimination of lithium. Lithium is mainly a neurotoxicant. Lithium-related central nervous system toxicity as well as the cardiovascular and thyroid changes are most likely due to the cations (Na2 (+) and K(+)) competition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Unit of Oral Pathology and Medicine, IRCCS Galeazzi Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. gianpaolo_guzzi@fastwebnet.it.
authors.forename: Paolo D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Pigatto
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Policlinico, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplant, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. gianpaolo_guzzi@fastwebnet.it.|Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA, USA. gianpaolo_guzzi@fastwebnet.it.
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dell'Osso
authors.affiliation: Italian Association for Metals and Biocompatibility Research-A.I.R.M.E.B., (not-for-profit organization), Via A. Banfi, 4, 20122, Milan, Italy. gianpaolo_guzzi@fastwebnet.it.
authors.forename: Gianpaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guzzi