X-Message-Number: 9362
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 04:58:16 -0600 (CST)
From:  (Steven B. Harris)
Subject: Re: Lithium and Cerebral Ischemia

It's been suggested that lithium might help in cerebral ischemia, and 
it's a good thought for various reasons.  However, in the one clear 
experiment where it's been tried as a cerebroprotectant, it didn't 
work.  Back to the drawing board.


Stroke 1991 Jan;22(1):84-89  
Lithium ion does not protect brain against transient ischemia in 
gerbils.

Yoshida S, Kirino T, Tamura A, Basugi N, Sano K

Department of Neurosurgery, Kanto Rosai Hospital, Kawasaki, Japan.

It has been proposed that lithium ion desensitizes neuronal receptors 
that function via the inositol phospholipid signaling mechanism. We 
examined the effects of lithium chloride on the morphologic outcome 
after 5 minutes of cerebral ischemia induced in gerbils by occluding 
both common carotid arteries under brief halothane anesthesia. In three 
treated groups of 10 gerbils each, 5 meq/kg i.p. lithium chloride was 
given 2 days, 1 day, and 2 hours before ischemia; 2 hours before 
ischemia; or immediately after the end of ischemia. Corresponding 
control groups of nine or 10 gerbils each received equivalent
volumes of saline injected at comparable times. All gerbils were
perfusion-fixed 1 week later, and neuronal density of the hippocampal 
CA1 pyramidal cells was determined. Lithium induced very mild 
intraischemic systemic hypothermia, but postischemic hyperthermia 
developed in both treated and control groups. Neuronal densities were 
equal in corresponding groups. The results indicate that our regimen of 
lithium administration provides no benefit in survival of hippocampal 
neurons, and intraischemic hypothermia of less than 0.8 degrees C is 
not protective. Other strategies to inactivate the signal
transduction system that is specific for excitatory neurotransmission 
should be evaluated.

PMID: 1846249, UI: 91102781

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