Posted by Larry Hoover on December 2, 2003, at 14:27:39
In reply to Larry Hoover, I've got a question, posted by Bliss on December 2, 2003, at 13:58:48
> Larry- You seem to be the "go to" guy in this neck of the woods.
It does seem so... ;-)
> Among a regime of nutrients I take, one of them is Lithium Orotate. It is working for me. Also Lithium Carbonate worked well for me for some 20+ years.
>
> My question is can you point me to studies connecting kidney damage with Lithium Orotate.
>
> Many thanks.Lithium treatment/prophylaxis for e.g. bipolar disorder was extensively studied around 25 years ago. There were a number of lithum salts tested, and for some reason, the chloride and carbonate salts became the standards. The orotate (lithium salt with orotic acid) was tested, and found to have identical lithium pharmacokinetics (i.e. the orotate does not have a preferential capacity to transport lithium ions to the brain, as touted on certain websites; see second abstract). That said, the orotate fell out of favour, and I never found why, except perhaps because of the findings of the following study in rats (N.B. injected slurry not advisable):
J Pharm Pharmacol. 1979 Mar;31(3):161-3.
Kidney function and lithium concentrations of rats given an injection of lithium orotate or lithium carbonate.
Smith DF, Schou M.
A recent study by Kling et al (1978) noted the finding of higher lithium concentrations in serum and brain of rats after an intraperitoneal injection (2 mmol lithium kg-1) of lithium orotate as a slurry than of lithium carbonate in solution. The authors suggested that lithium orotate might offer advantages in the treatment of patients. We repeated the experiments of Kling et al but in addition examined the kidney function of the rats. Glomerular filtration rate and urine flow were markedly lower in rats given lithium orotate than in rats given lithium carbonate, sodium chloride or a sham injection. The renal lithium clearance was significantly lower, the kidney weight and the lithium concentrations in serum, kidney and heart significantly higher after injection of lithium orotate than after injection of lithium carbonate. The higher lithium concentrations could be accounted for by the lower kidney function. It seems inadvisable to use lithium orotate for the treatment of patients.
Br J Pharmacol. 1976 Apr;56(4):399-402.Lithium orotate, carbonate and chloride: pharmacokinetics, polyuria in rats.
Smith DF.
1 The pharmacokinetics of the lithium ion administered as lithium orotate were studied in rats. Parallel studies were carried out with lithium carbonate and lithium chloride. 2 No differences in the uptake, distribution and excretion of the lithium ion were observed between lithium orotate, lithium carbonate and lithium chloride after single intraperitoneal, subcutaneous or intragastric injections (0.5-1.0 mEq lithium/kg) or after administration of the lithium salts for 20 days in the food. 3 The findings oppose the notion that the pharmacokinetics of the lithium ion given as lithium orotate differ from lithium chloride or lithium carbonate. 4 Polyuria and polydipsia developed more slowly in rats given lithium orotate than in those given lithium carbonate or lithium chloride, perhaps due to an effect of the orotate anion.
You're welcome,
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:285929
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031122/msgs/285941.html