Skip to main content
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1972 May 27;2(5812):496–498. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5812.496

Lithium-induced Hyperpolarization of the Human Rectum in Vivo

J Rask-Madsen, P C Baastrup, M Schwartz
PMCID: PMC1788317  PMID: 5031209

Abstract

The transmucosal potential difference across the rectal mucosa was measured in 30 healthy subjects and in 13 psychiatric patients on lithium treatment for manic-depressive psychosis. It was significantly greater in the lithium-treated patients. A highly significant correlation was found between the potential difference and the serum lithium, and in all eight patients in whom it was measured before and one week after starting lithium treatment a rising potential difference was found. This phenomenon may possibly be explained in terms of resistance of the rectal mucosa to vasopressin.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BLICKENSTAFF D. D. Increase in intestinal absorption of water from isosmotic saline following pitressin administration. Am J Physiol. 1954 Dec;179(3):471–472. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1954.179.3.471. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baker P. F. Phosphorus metabolism of intact crab nerve and its relation to the active transport of ions. J Physiol. 1965 Sep;180(2):383–423. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007709. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CARMELIET E. E. INFLUENCE OF LITHIUM IONS ON THE TRANSMEMBRANE POTENTIAL AND CATION CONTENT OF CARDIAC CELLS. J Gen Physiol. 1964 Jan;47:501–530. doi: 10.1085/jgp.47.3.501. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CLARKSON T. W., ROTHSTEIN A. Transport of monovalent cations by the isolated small intestine of the rat. Am J Physiol. 1960 Nov;199:898–906. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1960.199.5.898. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. COOPERSTEIN I. L., HOGBEN C. A. Ionic transfer across the isolated frog large intestine. J Gen Physiol. 1959 Jan 20;42(3):461–473. doi: 10.1085/jgp.42.3.461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. CURRAN P. F., SCHWARTZ G. F. Na, Cl, and water transport by rat colon. J Gen Physiol. 1960 Jan;43:555–571. doi: 10.1085/jgp.43.3.555. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dalmark M. The transmucosal electrical potential difference of rectum in the unanesthetized man. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1970;5(4):277–282. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Edmonds C. J., Godfrey R. C. Measurement of electrical potentials of the human rectum and pelvic colon in normal and aldosterone-treated patients. Gut. 1970 Apr;11(4):330–337. doi: 10.1136/gut.11.4.330. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Forn J., Valdecasas F. G. Effects of lithium on brain adenyl cyclase activity. Biochem Pharmacol. 1971 Oct;20(10):2773–2779. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(71)90187-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gardner D. R., Kerkut G. A. A comparison of the effects of sodium and lithium ions on action potentials from Helix aspersa neurones. Comp Biochem Physiol. 1968 Apr;25(1):33–48. doi: 10.1016/0010-406x(68)90912-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Geall M. G., Spencer R. J., Phillips S. F. Transmural electrical potential difference of the human colon. Gut. 1969 Nov;10(11):921–923. doi: 10.1136/gut.10.11.921. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Grady G. F., Duhamel R. C., Moore E. W. Active transport of sodium by human colon in vitro. Gastroenterology. 1970 Oct;59(4):583–588. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hayashi H., Saito Y., Hoshi T. Sugar-dependent increment of the transmural potential of isolated small intestine in Li plus-medium. Tohoku J Exp Med. 1971 Feb;103(2):119–128. doi: 10.1620/tjem.103.119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. KEYNES R. D., SWAN R. C. The permeability of frog muscle fibres to lithium ions. J Physiol. 1959 Oct;147:626–638. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006265. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LEB D. E., HOSHIKO T., LINDLEY B. D., DUGAN J. A. EFFECT OF ALKALI METAL CATIONS ON THE POTENTIAL ACROSS TOAD AND BULLFROG URINARY BLADDER. J Gen Physiol. 1965 Jan;48:527–540. doi: 10.1085/jgp.48.3.527. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Levitan R., Mauer I. Effect of intravenous antidiuretic hormone administration on salt and water absorption from the human colon. J Lab Clin Med. 1968 Nov;72(5):739–746. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Murphy D. L., Goodwin F. K., Bunney W. E., Jr Aldosterone and sodium response to lithium administration in man. Lancet. 1969 Aug 30;2(7618):458–461. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90166-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Pearson I. B., Jenner F. A. Lithium in psychiatry. Nature. 1971 Aug 20;232(5312):532–533. doi: 10.1038/232532a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. SKOU J. C. The influence of some cations on an adenosine triphosphatase from peripheral nerves. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1957 Feb;23(2):394–401. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(57)90343-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Soergel K. H., Whalen G. E., Harris J. A., Geenen J. E. Effect of antidiuretic hormone on human small intestinal water and solute transport. J Clin Invest. 1968 May;47(5):1071–1082. doi: 10.1172/JCI105797. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. ZERAHN K. Studies on the active transport of lithium in the isolated frog skin. Acta Physiol Scand. 1955 Aug 19;33(4):347–358. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1955.tb01214.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES