Abstract
Although lithium has long been used in psychiatric practice1–4, its exact mechanism of action remains largely unknown. The reason is mainly methodological. Lithium has no radioisotope, and it is too light to be detectable by electron-probe micro-analysis. To study the distribution of lithium in the brain, most authors5 have proceeded by dissecting the brain into small fragments and determining the mean Li content of each fragment by photometric methods. However, the resolving power by this method has remained poor. Our group6 and others7 have recently described the possibility of using the stable isotopes of lithium as tracers for estimating unidirectional fluxes. To study Li-location, there is the theoretical possibility of using the specific nuclear reaction 6Li(n, α)3H. The method cannot be used as a conventional radioactivation because the induced 3H has negligible radioactivity compared with the many other radioisotopes also induced in a biological sample bombarded by neutrons. The detection then consists of laying sections of the 6Li-containing samples in contact with a convenient detector, and irradiating the whole arrangement with neutrons; the distribution of lithium in the sample is revealed by the tracks of the α and 3H particles in the detector. Some authors have already attempted to use such methods for various biological applications8–15. By taking advantage of different independent technical advances16–22 , we can now give a precise quantitative picture of the distribution of lithium in the brain of a lithium-treated mouse.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cade, J. F. J. Med. J. Aust. 36, 349–352 (1949).
Schou, M. J. Psychiat. Res. 6, 67–95 (1968).
Johnson, F. N. Lithium Research and Therapy (Academic, London, 1975).
Birch, N. J. in New Trends in Bio-Inorganic Chemistry (eds Williams, R. J. P. & da Silva, J. J. R. F.) 389–435 (Academic, London, 1978).
Heurteaux, C., Wissocq, J. C., Stelz, T. & Thellier, M. Biol. Cell. 35, 251–258 (1979).
Garrec, J. P. et al. C.r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris D 285, 579–582 (1977).
Birch, N., Robinson, D., Inie, R. & Hullin, R. J. Pharmac. 30, 683–685 (1978).
Thellier, M., Stelz, T. & Wissocq, J. C. J. Microsc. Biol. Cell. 27, 157–168 (1976).
Ficq, A. C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci. Paris 233, 1684–1685 (1951).
Mayr, G., Bruner, H. D. & Brucer, M. Nucleonics 11, 21–25 (1953).
Edwards, L. C. Int. J. appl. Rad. Isot. 1, 184–190 (1956).
Garin, A. & Thellier, M. Bull. Microsc. Appl. 8, 129–148 (1958).
Thellier, M. & Le Guiel, J. C.r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 264, 292–295 (1967).
Nelson, S. D., Bensch, K. G., Herman, M. M. & Barchas, J. D. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 21, 241–252 (1973).
Carpenter, B. S., Samuel, D., Wassermann, I. & Yuwiller, A. J. radioanalyt. Chem. 37, 523–528 (1977).
Stumpf, W. E. & Roth, L. J. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 14, 274–287 (1966).
Appleton, T. C. Acta histochem. suppl. 8, 115–134 (1968).
Fleischer, R. L., Alter, H. W., Furman, S. C., Price, P. B. & Walker, R. M. Science 178, 255–263 (1972).
Barbier, J. Bull. Soc. Fr. Radioprotection 8, 51–56 (1973).
Thellier, M., Stelz, T. & Wissocq, J. C. Biochim. biophys. Acta 437, 607–627 (1976).
Wissocq, J. C., Stelz, T. & Thellier, M. Newsl. appl. Nuclear Meth. Biol. Agric. 6, 21–23 (1976).
Wissocq, J. C., Stelz, T., Heurteaux, C., Bisconte, J. C. & Thellier, M. J. Histochem Cytochem. 27 (in the press).
Malmon, A. G. J. theor. Biol. 9, 77–92 (1965).
Lallier, R. C.r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris D 268, 2592–2594 (1969).
Laties, G. G. Archs Biochem. Biophys. 79, 378–391 (1969).
Carlier, G. & Thellier, M. Physiol. vég. 17, 13–26 (1979).
Boyer, N., Chapelle, B. & Gaspar, T. Pl. Physiol. 63, 1215–1216 (1979).
Thellier, M. & Desbiez, M. O. in Regulation of Cell Membrane Activities in Plants (eds Marré, E. & Ciferri, O.) 291–298 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977).
Martini, F. & Thellier, M. Newsl. Appl. Nuclear Meth. Biol. Agric. 4, 26–29 (1975).
Thellier, M., Duval, Y. & Demarty, M. Pl. Physiol. 63, 283–288 (1979).
Thurber, W. R. & Carpenter, B. S. J. electrochem. Soc. 125, 654–656 (1978).
Carpenter, B. S., Samuel, D. & Wasserman, I. Radiat. Effects 19, 59 (1973).
Wasserman, I., Samuel, D., Yuwiller, A. & Carpenter, B. S. Am. Nuclear Soc. Trans. 18, 85 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thellier, M., Wissocq, J. & Heurteaux, C. Quantitative microlocation of lithium in the brain by a (n, α) nuclear reaction. Nature 283, 299–302 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/283299a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/283299a0
This article is cited by
-
Predicted Cellular and Molecular Actions of Lithium in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: An In Silico Study
CNS Drugs (2020)
-
Lithium Accumulates in Neurogenic Brain Regions as Revealed by High Resolution Ion Imaging
Scientific Reports (2017)
-
The mapping of natural boron in histological sections of mouse tissues by the use of neutron-capture radiography
The Histochemical Journal (1992)
-
Quantitative problems in using nuclear reactions and dielectric detectors for the detection of stable isotopes (6Li and10B) in biological samples
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Articles (1985)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.