The British Journal of Psychiatry 136: 235-238 (1980)
© 1980 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Lithium restores abnormal platelet 5-HT transport in patients with affective disorders
A Coppen, C Swade and K Wood
Kinetic analysis of the transport of 5-HT into the blood platelets of
depressed patients and recovered depressive patients has shown that the
rate of accumulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is significantly
decreased both before and after recovery from the illness. This abnormality
is corrected by both short and long-term lithium treatment. As a corollary
to these studies, the effect of lithium in vitro on 5-HT uptake has been
studied and the results are opposite to those reported in vivo. These
findings suggest that lithium acts indirectly, and possible mechanisms of
its action are discussed.