Examination of changes in the immune system in rats exposed to different doses of lithium for a long‐term period (876.4)

Abstract

The effects of lithium which is widely used for the treatment of bipolar disorder, on the specific and non‐specific immune systems of rats have been investigated. Forty male rats were used. The rats were divided into control and four treatment groups, each contained 8 animals. While control group were fed with standard commercial pellet, 1, 1.4, 1.8 and 2.2 g/kg lithium was added to the diets of group‐I, II, III and IV respectively for 30‐days.Liver, spleen and kidney and body weight were weighed. Total white blood cell, granulocyte, lymphocyte and monocyte percentage, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD161 cells, CD4/CD8 ratio and serum lithium level were determined.The body weight decreased depending on the dose of the lithium. Treatments did not affect the relative weight of the organs studied. Granulocyte percentage was increased (P=0.026) significantly related to lithium dose. CD3 and CD4 cell ratios significantly decreased (P= 0.004 and P= 0.005 respectively) in rats fed with 2.2 g/kg lithium added diet. Despite of a numerical decrease in CD4 cells in group which were given 1.8 mg/kg lithium, this decrease was not statistically significant. There was no significant change in rates of CD8, CD161 cells in peripheral blood. On the other hand the rate of CD4/CD8 cells in groups given lithium 1.8g/kg and 2.2g/kg dosages were found to be significantly low when compared with the control and the other groups.It is concluded that lithium therapy may activate the non‐specific immune system by increasing the granulocytes percentage, but it has negative influences on the body weight, cells of CD3, CD4 and CD4/CD8 rate which are the key cells of the specific immune system.Grant Funding Source: This work was supported by the Research Fund of Istanbul University