LITHIUM PREVENTS OUABAIN-INDUCED BEHAVIORAL-CHANGES - TOWARD AN ANIMAL-MODEL FOR MANIC-DEPRESSION

Both mania and bipolar depression have been associated with decrements in the activity of the sodium and potassium-activated adenosine triph osphatase (Na,K-ATPase) membrane pump. Although the role of this obser vation in the pathophysiology of bipolar illness is unclear, it has be en proposed that this defect could be central to the pathogenesis of t he illness. In an effort to test this hypothesis, the authors examined the efficacy of lithium pretreatment in attenuating behavioral change s secondary to acute administration of a single intracerbroventricular (icv) dose of the Na,K-ATPase-inhibiting compound, ouabain, in the Sp rague-Dawley rat. Ouabain (10(-3)M) significantly decreased motor acti vity in automated activity monitors. Lithium pretreatment for 7 d tota lly prevented this effect. These preliminary data suggest that icy oua bain administration in the rat may prove to be a viable animal model f or bipolar illness.