Erythrocyte membrane cation carrier in depressive illness

Abstract

SynopsisErythrocyte sodium concentration, potassium concentration, Na-K ATPase activity, and ouabain sensitive potassium influx were determined in female inpatients suffering from a depressive illness. In most patients the biochemical values were also determined shortly before the patient's discharge from hospital. The Na-K ATPase and the ouabain sensitive potassium influx increased significantly with improvement in the depressive mood rating.

THE EFFECT OF LITHIUM TREATMENT ON ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANE ATPase ACTIVITIES AND ERYTHROCYTE ION CONTENT

“…The small changes are difficult to interpret in view of the large variance in the data but they suggest that lithium treatment only causes an increase in Na/K ATPase activity when there is an associated recovery of the patients. This is supported by the finding that amelioration of mood is correlated with increased Na/K ATPase activity (Naylor et al, 1973). Lithium itself may not cause any change in erythrocyte membrane Na/K ATPase activity.…”

“…The majority of the lithium-treated group had recovered and so it was not possible to separate drug and recovery effects in this case. Erythrocyte sodium concentration has been shown to decrease following recovery from depressive illness not associated with lithium treatment (Naylor, McNamee & Moody, 1971, Naylor et al, 1973 whereas recovery from depression following lithium treatment has been found to be associated with an increase in erythrocyte sodium concentration (Mendels, Frazer, Secunda & Stoken, 1971;Mendels & Frazer, 1974-however this was not confirmed by Mendels, Frazer & Secunda, 1972). Our results show lithium treatment to be associated with an increase in both the erythrocyte sodium concentration and erythrocyte membrane Na/K ATPase activity.…”

“…Inorganic phosphate was estimated by the method of Stoward as described by Naylor, Dick, Dick, Le Poidevin & Whyte (1973). For ion estimations, erythrocytes were separated from plasma and washed following the methods of Smith & Samuel (1970) and Glen & Bellinger (1973).…”

“…The present paper describes studies of various ATPase activities during lithium treatment and also attempts to answer certain specific questions concerning the observed effects. Since depression has been shown to be associated with reduced Na/K ATPase activity (Hesketh, Glen & Reading, 1977a) and recovery from depression to be associated with increased activity (Naylor et al, 1973) the observed increase in membrane Na/K ATPase during lithium treatment (Dick et al, 1974) could be due to an effect of recovery rather than one of the drug. We have attempted to investigate this problem.…”

Biological markers of depression

“…Biochemical studies of erythrocytes and platelets have demonstrated an altered activity of the cation transport enzyme, sodium + potassium activated adenosine triphosphatase (the sodium pump), in unipolar depression and in the depressed and manic phases of bipolar illness (Naylor et al 1973(Naylor et al , 1974aSengupta et al 1980;Akagawa et al 1980). Some studies have shown a normalization of these changes following clinical recovery or after treatment with lithium salts (Hokin-Neaverson et al 1976;Naylor et al 19746, 1977).…”