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Lithium Salts: Antidepressant and Antianxiety Effects

This study compared the antidepressant-like and anxiety-related effects of lithium ascorbate, lithium orotate, and lithium carbonate in male Wistar rats using a modified forced swim test.

Study Substances

Lithium ascorbate 

An organic lithium compound that combines lithium with ascorbate, a form related to vitamin C.

Lithium orotate

An organic lithium compound that combines lithium with orotate, a substance derived from orotic acid.

Lithium carbonate

An inorganic lithium salt commonly used as a prescription medicine for bipolar disorder.

Phenazepam

A benzodiazepine medication with anti-anxiety effects and was used as the reference substance.

Physiological saline

Contained no active treatment and was used as the control.

Behavior Measurements

The researchers used a modified forced swim test and measured three types of behavior:

  • Climbing: active movements and attempts to escape

  • Passive swimming: movements needed to remain afloat without active escape attempts

  • Immobility: absence of active movement

Dosages and Behavioral Effects

Substance

Compound dose, mg/kg

Elemental lithium*, mg/kg

Antidepressant efficacy

Anti-anxiety efficacy

Lithium ascorbate

10.00

0.320

35.0%

50.5%

Lithium orotate, low dose

7.44

0.318

14.5%

22.5%

Lithium carbonate, low dose

1.70

0.319

1.1%

3.8%

Lithium orotate, high dose

25.00

1.070

38.2%

46.9%

Lithium carbonate, high dose

50.00

9.395

16.5%

25.0%

Phenazepam

0.025

-

48.1%

78.1%

Control

-

-

0%

0%

*Each lithium salt has two dose measurements: the total dose of the compound and the dose of elemental lithium it contains. The total compound dose is higher because lithium is chemically combined with another component, such as ascorbate, orotate, or carbonate.

Results

A reduction in immobility was interpreted as an antidepressant-like effect. The authors interpreted an increase in passive swimming as an anxiety-related or anxiolytic-like effect.

The efficacy was calculated as (Control Time - Treatment Time)/Control x 100

The efficacy was calculated as (Control Time - Treatment Time)/Control x 100

Author

Science Writer Vlada Sukhanovskaya

Scientific Source:

Study of the Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Effects of Various Lithium Salts, Konstantin Ostrenko, Vyacheslav Rastashansky

FAQs

1. What was the purpose of the study?
The study compared the antidepressant-like and anxiety-related effects of lithium ascorbate, lithium orotate, and lithium carbonate in male Wistar rats.

2. How were the effects of the lithium salts measured?
Researchers used a modified forced swim test and measured climbing, passive swimming, and immobility. Reduced immobility was interpreted as an antidepressant-like effect, while increased passive swimming was interpreted as an anxiolytic-like effect.

3. Which lithium salt showed the strongest effects at similar elemental lithium doses?
At approximately 0.32 mg/kg of elemental lithium, lithium ascorbate showed greater antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like efficacy than low-dose lithium orotate and lithium carbonate.

4. Did a higher dose of lithium orotate produce stronger effects?
Yes. High-dose lithium orotate showed greater antidepressant-like efficacy than lithium ascorbate and similar anxiolytic-like efficacy. However, it also contained more than three times as much elemental lithium.

5. Do the results show that one lithium salt is better for treating depression or anxiety in humans?
No. This was an animal study measuring behavioral effects in rats. The results do not establish clinical effectiveness, safety, or superiority in humans.

Summary

This animal study compared lithium ascorbate, lithium orotate, and lithium carbonate in a modified forced swim test. At nearly equal elemental lithium doses, lithium ascorbate produced stronger antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects than lithium orotate and lithium carbonate. High-dose lithium orotate also produced substantial effects but contained considerably more elemental lithium. Phenazepam, the reference anti-anxiety medication, showed the strongest overall effects. Because the research was conducted in rats, controlled human studies are needed before drawing conclusions about clinical use.

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