Effect of Drug Interactions Involving Lithium Carbonate on Certain Aspects of Carbohydrate Metabolism

The usefulness of lithium salts in the treatment manic-depressive psychosis has inspired many clinical id biochemical studiesIt has been assumed that an intimate relationship .exists between diabetes and manic-depressive psychosis.The present study has been carried out to invest¬igate the effects of the lithium ion on carbohydrate metabolism and the drug interactions that may occur upon the concurrent administration of lithium and hypoglycemic agents, a combination therapy which is indicated for diabetic subjects suffering from manic -depressive conditions .The. combination lithium carbonate-tolbutamide has been chosen in the present work, since sulfonylurea, to which tolbutamide belongs, exert theirhypoglycemic action mainly through their effect on insulin secretion, which plays a basic role in influ¬encing carbohydrate metabolismdesign of the experimentsThe effects of tolbutamide, lithium carbonate and lithium carbonate - tolbutamide combination on Carbohydrate metabolism have been investigated in normal male albino rate and in alloxan-diabetic rats.