Locomotor activity and plasma, red blood cell and cerebral cortex lithium concentration in inbred mice given lithium carbonate.

Inbred male C57 BALB, C3H and DBA mice received lithium carbonate in their food for 3 weeks. Their locomotor activity was measured by photocells and the concentration of lithium in their plasma, red blood cells and cerebral cortex was determined. The susceptibility of the inbred strains of mice to the activity-suppressant effect of lithium was C3H greater than DBA greater than BALB = C57. The concentration of lithium in plasma varied between 0.85-1.02 mEq 1. No relationship was found between lithium's pharmacokinetics and its effects on activity. The findings are consistent with the notion that genetic factors can influence the effects of lithium on behavior, but they do not support the hypothesis that genetic determination of lithium's uptake into cells is responsible for these effects.