RESEARCH PAPER
Level of magnesium in patients with depression treated with lithium – pilotage research
1
Independent Psychic Health Unit, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
2
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
3
Chair and Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
Corresponding author
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2013;20(1):111–115
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Depression is a major public health problem. Magnesium (Mg2+) is involved in many metabolic processes as an activator of over 300 different enzymes. For the last 60 years lithium (Li+) compounds have been used in psychiatry. Li+ salts are regarded as the first choice medicine in the treatment of affective disorders and are also applied as an adjuvant intensifying the therapy in drug-resistant depression patients.
Objective:
The objective of the study was an analysis of the relationship between the levels of magnesium, lithium, and education and place of residence of patients hospitalized due to depression.
Material and Methods:
Patients with bipolar affective disorders undergoing lithium therapy during their stay in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University in Lublin were examined. Patients were divided into three groups according to education level and were also analyzed according to place of residence.
Results:
In the group of patients in the study, a significantly lower level of magnesium was found (p=0.02) in blood plasma of patients with secondary education level, compared to those who had elementary education. There was also a significantly higher level of magnesium (p=0.01) in blood plasma of patients who lived in urban areas, compared to rural inhabitants. No statistically significant differences were noted between lithium level in plasma, and the patients’ place of residence (p=0.34).
Conclusions:
Significantly higher plasma magnesium levels were observed among city than village inhabitants, there was also a relationship between type of education and magnesium level in blood plasma of the patients in the study. Further studies including larger groups of patients should be performed to enable a final conclusion.
Depression is a major public health problem. Magnesium (Mg2+) is involved in many metabolic processes as an activator of over 300 different enzymes. For the last 60 years lithium (Li+) compounds have been used in psychiatry. Li+ salts are regarded as the first choice medicine in the treatment of affective disorders and are also applied as an adjuvant intensifying the therapy in drug-resistant depression patients.
Objective:
The objective of the study was an analysis of the relationship between the levels of magnesium, lithium, and education and place of residence of patients hospitalized due to depression.
Material and Methods:
Patients with bipolar affective disorders undergoing lithium therapy during their stay in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University in Lublin were examined. Patients were divided into three groups according to education level and were also analyzed according to place of residence.
Results:
In the group of patients in the study, a significantly lower level of magnesium was found (p=0.02) in blood plasma of patients with secondary education level, compared to those who had elementary education. There was also a significantly higher level of magnesium (p=0.01) in blood plasma of patients who lived in urban areas, compared to rural inhabitants. No statistically significant differences were noted between lithium level in plasma, and the patients’ place of residence (p=0.34).
Conclusions:
Significantly higher plasma magnesium levels were observed among city than village inhabitants, there was also a relationship between type of education and magnesium level in blood plasma of the patients in the study. Further studies including larger groups of patients should be performed to enable a final conclusion.
REFERENCES (32)
1.
Haenisch B, Bönisch H. Depression and antidepressants: insights from knockout of dopamine, serotonin or noradrenaline re-uptake transporters. Pharmacol Ther. 2011; 129: 352-368.
2.
Beucke JC. Uhl I. Plotkin M, Winter C, Assion HJ, Endrass T, Amthauer H, Kupsch A, Juckel G. Serotonergic neurotransmission in early Parkinson’s disease: a pilot study to assess implications for depression in this disorder. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2010; 11: 781-787.
3.
Miller JM, Brennan KG, Ogden TR, Oquendo MA, Sullivan GM, Mann JJ, Parsey RV. Elevated serotonin 1A binding in remitted major depressive disorder: evidence for a trait biological abnormality. Neuropsychopharmacology 2009; 34: 2275-2284.
4.
Opmeer EM, Kortekaas R, Aleman A. Depression and the role of genes involved in dopamine metabolism and signalling. Prog Neurobiol. 2010; 92: 112-133.
5.
Siwek MS, Wróbel A, Dudek D, Nowak G, Zieba A. The role of zinc in the pathogenesis and treatment of affective disorders. Psychiatr Pol. 2005; 39: 899-909.
6.
Murck H. Magnesium and affective disorders. Nutr Neurosci. 2002; 5: 375-389.
7.
Ghasemi A, Saberi M, Ghasemi M, Shafaroodi H, Moezi L, Bahremand A, Montaser-Kouhsari L, Ziai P, Dehpour AR. Administration of lithium and magnesium chloride inhibited tolerance to the anticonvulsant effect of morphine on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mice. Epilepsy Behav. 2010; 19: 568-574.
8.
Etebary S, Nikseresht S, Sadeghipour HR, Zarrindast MZ. Postpartum depression and role of serum trace elements. Iran J Psychiatry. 2010; 5(2): 40-46.
9.
Eby GA, Eby KL. Magnesium for treatment-resistant depression: A review and hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses. 2010; 74: 649–660.
10.
Held K, Antonijevic IA, Kunzel H, Uhr M, Wetter TC, Golly IC, et al. Oral Mg(2+) supplementation reverses agerelated neuroendocrine and sleep EEG changes in humans. Pharmacopsychiatry 2002; 35: 135–143.
11.
Mota de Freitas D, Castro MM, Geraldes CF. Is competition between Li + and Mg 2+ the underlying theme in the proposed mechanisms for the pharmacological action of lithium salts in bipolar disorder? Acc Chem Res. 2006; 39: 283-291.
12.
Zhong J, Lee WH. Lithium: a novel treatment for Alzheimer’s disease? Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2007; 6: 375-383.
13.
Hanson ND, Nemeroff CB, Owens MJ. Lithium, but not fluoxetine or the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 receptor antagonist r121919, increases cell proliferation in the adult dentate gyrus. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2011; 337: 180-186.
14.
Brown AK, Meng G, Ghadbane H, Scott DJ, Dover LG, Nigou J, Besra GS, Fütterer K. Dimerization of inositol monophosphatase Mycobacterium tuberculosis SuhB is not constitutive, but induced by binding of the activator Mg 2+. . BMC Struct Biol. 2007; 7: 55.
15.
Heinrich A, Böer U, Tzvetkov M, Oetjen E, Knepel W. Stimulation by lithium of the interaction between the transcription factor CREB and its co-activator TORC. Biosci Rep. 2009; 29: 77-87.
16.
Sharma SD, Iqbal M. Lithium induced toxicity in rats: a hematological, biochemical and histopathological study. Biol Pharm Bull. 2005; 28: 834-837.
17.
Huang X, Wu DY, Chen G, Manji H, Chen DF. Support of retinal ganglion cell survival and axon regeneration by lithium through a Bcl-2-dependent mechanism. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003; 44: 347-354.
18.
Kiełczykowska M, Musik I, Pasternak K. Relationships between silicon content and glutathione peroxidase activity in tissues of rats receiving lithium in drinking water. BioMetals. 2008; 21: 53-59.
19.
Pużyński S, Beręsewicz M. Zasady rozpoznawania i leczenia zaburzeń psychicznych. Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii, Warszawa 1993.
20.
Pużyński S. Choroby afektywne nawracające. W: Bilikiewicz A. Psychiatria t. II. Urban & Partner, Wrocław 2002.
21.
Shealy NC, Cady RK, Veehoff D, Houston R, Burnette M, Cox RH, et al. The neurochemistry of depression. AJPM 1992; 2: 13–16.
22.
Banki CM, Arato M, Kilts CD. Aminergic studies and cerebrospinal fluid cations in suicide. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1986; 487: 221–230.
23.
Cox IM, Cambell MJ, Dowson D. Red blood cell magnesium and chronic fatigue syndrome. Lancet 1991; 337: 757–760.
24.
Murc H. Atypical depression spectrum disorder—neurobiology and treatment. Acta Neuropsychiatrica. 2003; 15: 227–241.
27.
Rybakowski J. Leki normotymiczne. In: Bilikiewicz A. Psychiatria vol. III. Urban & Partner, Wrocław 2003.
28.
Sharma V, Yatham L, Haslam D, Silvestrone P, Parikh S, Matter R, Kutcher S, Kusumakar V. Continuation and prophylactic treatment of bipolar disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 1997; 42(2): 982-1002.
29.
Compton M, Nemeroff C. The treatment of bipolar depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2000; 61(9): 57-67.
30.
Silvestrone P, Wu R, O’donell T, Ulrich M, Hanstock C. Chronic treatment with lithium, but not sodium valproate, increases cortical N-acetyl-aspartate concentrations in euthymic bipolar patients. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2003; 1(2): 73-79.
31.
Schou M. Lit w leczeniu chorób afektywnych. Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii, Warszawa 2006.
32.
Pinelli J, Symington A, Cunningham K, Paes B. Case report and review of the perinatal implications of maternal lithium use. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002; 187(1): 245-249.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
Improvement of visual identification of the journal - task financed under the agreement No. 618/P-DUN/2019 by the Minister of Science and Higher Education allocated to the activities of disseminating science.
Generation of the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) - task financed under the agreement No. 618/P-DUN/2019 by the Minister of Science and Higher
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.