EFFECT OF LITHIUM METAL ON THE CHEMICAL STATUS OF GLUTATHIONE (GSH) PRESENT IN WHOLE BLOOD (ESPECIALLY IN PLASMA AND CYTOSOLIC FRACTION IN HUMAN BLOOD)

Lithium remains a mainstay in the acute and prophylactic treatment of bipolar affective disorder. it is used in the augmentation of antidepressant treatment and, less frequently, in the augmentation of antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia. it is reported to have specific anti-suicidal effects. thus the effect of lithium was interesting to study on the glutathione (gsh) level in vivo conditions. ellman’s method has been used to see the effect of lithium on glutathione (gsh) level in whole blood. the time dependent effect of lithium on the chemical status of glutathione (gsh) was determined in the whole blood (plasma and cytosolic fraction) of human. the concentration of glutathione was drastically decreased. the decrease in the glutathione level was concentration and time of interaction dependent, probably due to oxidation of glutathione (gsh) to corresponding disulphide (gssg). in this paper the effect of lithium on the thiol/gsh level was discussed in vitro, which in principal may present a model of in vivo reaction.