Abstract
REPORTS of the behavioural effects of lithium salts on animals mainly seem to have dealt with depressant effects on spontaneous activities or with toxic symptoms (weight loss, polyuria, polydipsia, diarrhoea and so on). After prolonged lithium treatment, changes in brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) metabolism have been found to occur; 5HT turnover is decreased either in the whole brain1 or in specific areas such as brainstem and hypothalamus1, 2, where the levels are also decreased2. When levels of 5HT are reduced in the whole brain of rats either by lesions3 or by parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA)4, an inhibitor of 5HT synthesis, motor responsiveness of rats to electrical stimulation of the feet has been found to increase. We have observed that rats treated with lithium for a few days struggle more than controls when the skin is punctured in the course of injections, and after 2 weeks of treatment with lithium chloride (LiCl), foot shock “jump response” thresholds are reduced by about 10 and 25% with doses of 1 and 2 mequiv./kg respectively. With larger doses, sensitivity to foot shock is not increased further, but may even decline as toxic effects appear; after 2 weeks of administration of 3 mequiv/kg LiCl, toxic effects appeared in nearly all our rats, and about 10% of animals died. Sheard5 has found that treatment for 5 days with a high dose of LiCl (5 mequiv/kg) had no effect on motor responsiveness to foot shock, although shock-induced aggressive behaviour decreased; no toxic effects were reported.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
We are sorry, but there is no personal subscription option available for your country.
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Corrodi, H., Fuxe, K., and Schou, M., Life Sci., 8, 643 (1969).
Ho, A. K. S., Loh, H. H., Craves, F., Hitzeman, R. J., and Gershon, S., Europ. J. Pharmacol., 10, 72 (1970).
Lints, C. E., and Harvey, J. A., J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 67, 23 (1969).
Tenen, S. S., Psychopharmacologia, 10, 204 (1967).
Sheard, M. H., Nature, 228, 284 (1970).
Ho, A. K. S., Gershon, S., and Pinckney, L., Arch. Intern. Pharmacodyn, 196, 54 (1970).
Guilford, J. P., Psychometric Methods, 101 (McGraw Hill, New York, 1954).
Siegel, S., Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences (McGraw Hill, New York, 1956).
Joyce, D., and Summerfield, A., Arch. Intern. Pharmacodyn., 161, 489 (1966).
Lapin, I. P., and Oxenkrug, G. F., Lancet, i, 132 (1969).
Herold, M., and Cahn, J., in Pain (edit. by Soulairac, A., Cahn, J., and Charpentier, J.) (Academic Press, London, 1968).
Lim, R. K. S., and Guzman, F., in Pain (edit. by Soulairac, A., Cahn, J., and Charpentier, J.) (Academic Press, London, 1968).
Gattozzi, A. A., Publication No. 5033, National Clearing House for Mental Health Information (US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1970).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HARRISON-READ, P., STEINBERG, H. Lithium-induced Hypersensitivity to Foot Shock in Rats and the Role of 5-Hydroxytryptophan. Nature New Biology 232, 120–121 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio232120a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio232120a0
This article is cited by
-
Lithium effects on active and passive avoidance behavior in the rat
Psychopharmacology (1983)
-
Lithium and ?-methyl-p-tyrosine prevent ?manic? activity in rodents
Psychopharmacologia (1974)
-
Stimulation of the Sodium Pump in the Red Blood Cell by Lithium and Potassium
Nature (1972)
-
Lithium attenuates Drug-induced Hyperactivity in Rats
Nature (1971)