Altamura A C, Morganti A
Psychopharmacologia. 1975 Dec 31;45(2):171-5. doi: 10.1007/BF00429057.
Plasma renin activity (PRA) was measured in the supine position and after active upright stance in patients with endogenous depression and in a group of healthy volunteers serving as controls. In the depressed patients, PRA was further investigated in the same conditions during treatment with increasing doses of lithium carbonate. Basal PRA values were lower in depressed patients than in normal controls, particularly in the upright stance, and tended to rise gradually during lithium therapy. These findings suggest that lithium may work as a stimulant of the renin-angiotensin system, and possibly as an antidepressant, by way of producing functional activation of the norepinephrine system independent of its action on the water and electrolyte balance.
在内源性抑郁症患者及一组作为对照的健康志愿者中，测量了其仰卧位及主动直立姿势后的血浆肾素活性（PRA）。对于抑郁症患者，在使用递增剂量碳酸锂治疗期间，于相同条件下进一步研究了PRA。抑郁症患者的基础PRA值低于正常对照组，尤其是在直立姿势时，并且在锂治疗期间有逐渐升高的趋势。这些发现表明，锂可能通过产生去甲肾上腺素系统的功能激活，独立于其对水和电解质平衡的作用，从而作为肾素-血管紧张素系统的刺激剂，并且可能作为一种抗抑郁药发挥作用。
