Antitumor Effects of Lithium Carbonate 7lesser extent, the number of eosinophil granulocytes and lymphocytes as well.
The average number of erythrocytes does not change significantly.
b) Normalizes Blood Platelet Count
Thrombocytopenia is a major clinical problem caused by chemotherapy
and radiotherapy. An effective and very cost-effective option for treating
moderate neutropenia is the administration of lithium carbonate [25]. Lithium
induces the release of colony-stimulating factors and therefore stimulates
proliferation of neutrophil granulocytes. Other cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6,
and tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), are also stimulated. Apart from
granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF), there are as yet no reports of
lithium salts inducing early activating factors for the megakaryocytic lineage,
such as IL-3, IL-11, stem cell factor and flt-3 ligand, or maturation factors,
such as thrombopoietin. A statistically significant increase in the mean number
of platelets for patients with cell counts below 150,000/microL on the
commencement of treatment with lithium carbonate could be observed. Patient
tolerability of lithium carbonate therapy is very good. Patients with persistent
leucopenia and thrombocytopenia following chemotherapy or radiotherapy can
be treated with this trace element very cost-effectively.
c) Increases the Content of CD34+ Cells in the Blood
The concomitant administration of lithium carbonate and G-CSF in 33-
year-old woman with acute myeloid leukemia following chemotherapy
increases the number of circulating hematopoietic progenitor CD34+ cells in
peripheral blood [26]. At the time of mobilization, the dose of lithium
carbonate was 1200 mg/day and the serum lithium concentration was 0.86
mmol/l. In this case, both percentage and the number of CD34+cells obtained
by a single apheresis were higher analogical indicators in patients without
lithium carbonate treatment after 2-6 apheresis procedures. This case is
consistent with clinical experience Ballin et al. [27] on the mobilization of
CD34+ cells successfully in patients with both hematologic malignancies
occurring and bipolar disorders, in treatment of lithium carbonate.
d) Increases Cytokine Production
Lithium salt compounds influence hematopoiesis, which is known to be
regulated by a number of cytokines, including TNF-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6.
Lithium carbonate treatment of neutropenic patients with breast cancer results
in increased cytokine production [28]. Results indicate that this therapy
produced TNF-alpha and IL-6, but not IL-1 alpha elevations in patients