Lithium accumulation in the blood plasma of Li-treated pregnant mice

Pregnant mice were subjected to lithium treatment, either chronic (drinking water containing 30 mM LiCl) or acute (daily intraperitoneal injections of 6 mmol LiCl per kg of animal for three successive days). In both cases, the lithium concentrations in the mouse plasma were steady or slowly increasing during the second week of pregnancy, reached a maximal value on the 14th-15th days, decreased and finally increased again in the couple of days before delivery. The plasma Li-concentrations were in the range of 0.2 to 1 mM, i.e. of an order of magnitude comparable to that recommended for the treatment of manic depressive psychosis in humans. These data will be used in the interpretation of the Li distributions observed in the brain and the foetuses of the same mice which will be described in subsequent papers. This may have substantial implications because of recent suggestions that lithium may be a cheap and easily available drug which may be used in the treatment of AIDS and other illnesses and it may be that it will be required for use during pregnancy, or in patients who may become pregnant. Since the drug is thought to be useful in underdeveloped countries which cannot afford modern AIDS drugs it is important to know which populations are able to be treated safely and any limitations which may need to be enforced.