The Effect of Lithium on Intracellular Myo-inositol Levels in Human Lymphoblasts of Bipolar Disorder Patients

Bipolar disorder is a chronic disorder characterized by mood swings of mania and depression. Bipolar I is characterized by intense mania, while bipolar II is characterized by hypomania and depression. Currently, there is no cure for bipolar disorder; however, one mainstay of treatment is lithium, which is hypothesized to alleviate symptoms by reducing myo-inositol. In this study, the effect of lithium on intracellular myo-inositol was determined in lymphoblasts derived from bipolar disorder patients and compared to that of lymphoblasts from a neurotypical individual. At 1mM lithium, the data showed increased myo-inositol levels across cell lines; however, the results were not statistically significant. At 5mM, myo-inositol levels remained comparable to those of the neurotypical control. In contrast, at 10mM lithium, the data showed decreased myo-inositol levels. No statistical significance was found at 5mM or 10mM lithium.