Lithium orotate

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Lithium orotate
Systematic (IUPAC) name
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Identifiers
CAS number	5266-20-6
ATC code	?
PubChem	?
Chemical data
Formula	C₅H₃LiN₂O₄
Mol. mass	?
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	?
Metabolism	?
Half life	?
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Therapeutic considerations
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Legal status
Routes	?

Lithium orotate, is a lithium salt of pyrimidinecarboxylic acid and lithium. It is available as the monohydrate, LiC₅H₃N₂O₄·H₂O^[1].

Lithium orotate is generally marketed as a dietary supplement used in small doses to treat conditions including stress, manic depression, alcoholism, ADHD and ADD, aggression, PTSD, Alzheimer's and to improve memory. It has controversially been promoted as an alternative to lithium carbonate. In this compound, lithium is present as an orotate ion, rather than to a carbonate or other ion. Lithium orotate is sold under a wide variety of brand names and is available at some drugstores and health food stores.

Although a few psychiatrists prescribe lithium orotate to their patients, it is most often naturopaths and other alternative health practictioners who recommend this drug to their patients.

[edit] Scientific studies

There is no evidence for the use of lithium orotate in clinical treatment in preference to lithium carbonate, and some suggest that it may be harmful. However, one study suggests that lithium orotate may be useful in the treatment of addictions.^[2] Some patients prefer to use it in place of lithium carbonate, as they believe that it is more bioavailable and the side effects are perceived to be significantly reduced.

An animal study by Smith and Schou suggests that the kidneys clear lithium orotate significantly less effectively than lithium carbonate, and that this accounts for the higher serum levels of lithum when lithium orotate is taken compared to the equivalent amount of lithium carbonate. They conclude: "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."^[3] Proponents of lithium orotate therapy argue that this study was flawed because equal amounts of each compound of lithium was employed, whereas the point of using lithium orotate is to consume less elemental lithium than with lithium carbonate therapy.^[4]

The study which concluded that lithium orotate was inadvisable for treatment of patients was done as a direct follow-up study to one performed by Kling, Manowitz and Pollack in 1978. Their study suggested that lithium orotate could be used in lower amounts than the amounts required when using lithium carbonate, while achieving therapeutic results.^[5] However, an earlier study did not find a difference in the uptake, distribution and elimination of the orotate salt, as compared to carbonate or chloride salts of lithium.^[6]

Self-treatment of a psychiatric disorder with these supplements is potentially dangerous, since lithium is toxic in high doses.^[7] The active principle in these salts is the lithium ion Li⁺, which interacts with the normal function of sodium ions to produce numerous changes in the neurotransmitter activity of the brain. Therapeutically useful amounts of lithium are only slightly lower than toxic amounts when lithium carbonate or lithium citrate are used, so the blood levels of lithium must be carefully monitored during treatment.

[edit] References

^ Ina Bach, Otto Kumberger, Hubert Schmidbaur (1990). "Orotate complexes. Synthesis and crystal structure of lithium orotate( - I) monohydrate and magnesium bis[ orotate( - I)] octahydrate". Chem. Ber. 123 (12): 2267-2271. doi:10.1002/cber.19901231207.
^ Alcohol. 1986 Mar-Apr;3(2):97-100.
^ Smith DF, Schou M. Kidney function and lithium concentrations of rats given an injection of lithium orotate or lithium carbonate. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1979 Mar;31(3):161-3. Retrieved 18 April 2007
^ Lithium Orotate - Herbal Miracle or Internet Snake Oil?. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
^ Kling MA, Manowitz P, Pollack IW. Rat brain and serum lithium concentrations after acute injections of lithium carbonate and orotate. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1978 Jun;30(6):368-70.
^ Smith, DF (April 1976). "Lithium orotate, carbonate and chloride: pharmacokinetics, polyuria in rats.". Br J Pharmacol. 56 (4): 399-402. PMID 1260219.
^ Pauzé DK, Brooks DE (June 2007). "Lithium toxicity from an Internet dietary supplement". J Med Toxicol 3 (2): 61–2. PMID 18072162.

Kling M. A, Manowitz P., Pollack I. W. (1978). "Rat brain and serum lithium concentrations after acute injections of lithium carbonate and orotate". J Pharm Pharmacol 30 (6): 368-70.
Kling M. A, Manowitz P., Pollack I. W. (2004). "Peter Tyre". Drug treatment for personality disorders 10: 389-398.