Posted by SLS on December 26, 2011, at 8:53:05
In reply to lithium 5-ht1b + gsk-3b, posted by linkadge on December 25, 2011, at 19:54:22
> ok, so I think I'm on to something here.
>
> Lithium has been postulated to interact with the 5-ht1b serotonin autoreceptors. In doing some reading, this effect may be due to the interaction of lithium with gsk-3b.
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21372171
>
> According to the website above, gsk-3b inhibitors work to desensitize the serotonin 1b autoreceptor. This effect would enhance the activity of serotonin via reuptake inhibition.Did you mean to say via negative feedback? If not, then I am confused.
> Normally, the 5-ht1b autoreceptors inhibit serotonin release in limbic brain regions. Combining an SSRI with lithium (or another gsk-3b inhibitor like omega-3) would theoretically reduce the activity of the 5-ht1b autoreceptors and thus enhance antidepressant action.
I guess that this elucidates the mechanism by which lithium promotes serotonin release; a phenomenon noted for several decades, but formally without explanation.
- ScottSome see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1005569
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20111226/msgs/1005580.html