Skip to main content
Log in

Erythrocyte glycine in depressed, hypomanic, and euthymic bipolar patients treated with lithium carbonate

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Red blood cell (RBC) glycine levels were examined in 27 bipolar patients, treated with lithium carbonate for a minimum of 8 months, who were either hypomanic, depressed, or euthymic in their mood. We found no difference in the RBC glycine or in the RBC: plasma glycine ratio between the hypomanic, depressed, or euthymic patients (P<0.1). There were statistically significant differences in RBC glycine levels in lithium-treated euthymic patients and normal controls. There was a strong positive correlation between serum lithium levels and both RBC glycine levels and the RBC: plasma glycine ratio.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and statistical manual of the American Psychiatric Association. American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Aprison MH (1978) Glycine as a neurotransmitter. In: Lipton MA, DiMascio A, Killian KF (eds) Psychopharmacology: A generation of progress. Raven, New York, pp 333–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Zanchin G, DeGuzman T, Lajtha A (1979) The effect on corticosteroids on amino acid concentration of brain tissue preparation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 4:207–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Biegel A, Murphy DL, Bunney WE (1971) The manic rating scale. Arch Gen Psychiatry 25:256–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis JM (1976) Overview: Maintenance therapy in psychiatry. Am J Psychiatry 133:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch SI, Peselow ED, Banay-Schwartz M, Gershon S, Virgilio J, Fieve RR, Rotrosen J (1981a) Effect of lithium on glycine levels in patients with affective disorders. Am J Psychiatry 138:683–684

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch SI, Stanley M, Banay-Schwartz M, Peselow ED, Virgilio J, Geisler S, Mohs RC (1981b) The effect of lithium on rat brain and erythrocyte glycine levels. Eur J Pharmacol 75:75–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Feighner JP, Robins E, Guze SB, Woodruff RA, Winokur G, Muñoz R (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Arch Gen Psychiatry 26:57–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton M (1967) Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 6:278–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore S, Spackmann DH, Stein WH (1958) Chromatography of amino acids on sulfonated polystyrene resins. Anal Chem 30:1185–1190

    Google Scholar 

  • Niedle A, Kandera J, Lajtha A (1975) Compartmentation and exchangeability of brain amino acids: Evidence from studies of transport into tissue slices. Arch Biochem Biophys 169:397–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenblatt S, Gaull GE, Chanley JD, Rosenthal JS, Smith H, Sarkozi L (1979) Amino acids in bipolar affective disorders: Inereased glycine levels in erythrocytes. Am J Psychiatry 136:672–675

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer RL, Endicott J, Robins E (1978) Research diagnostic criteria (RDC) for a selected group of functional disorders. NY State Psychiatric Institute, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peselow, E.D., Deutsch, S.I., Stanley, M. et al. Erythrocyte glycine in depressed, hypomanic, and euthymic bipolar patients treated with lithium carbonate. Psychopharmacology 78, 314–316 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00433732

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00433732

Key words

Navigation