Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14496-14535, Iran.
Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Cells. 2022 Jan 5;11(1):171. doi: 10.3390/cells11010171.
Lithium has been a mainstay of therapy for patients with bipolar disorders for several decades. However, it may exert a variety of adverse effects that can affect patients' compliance. Sexual and erectile dysfunction has been reported in several studies by patients who take lithium as monotherapy or combined with other psychotherapeutic agents. The exact mechanisms underlying such side effects of lithium are not completely understood. It seems that both central and peripheral mechanisms are involved in the lithium-related sexual dysfunction. Here, we had an overview of the epidemiology of lithium-related sexual and erectile dysfunction in previous clinical studies as well as possible pathologic pathways that could be involved in this adverse effect of lithium based on the previous preclinical studies. Understanding such mechanisms could potentially open a new avenue for therapies that can overcome lithium-related sexual dysfunction and improve patients' adherence to the medication intake.
锂盐几十年来一直是治疗双相情感障碍患者的主要药物。然而，它可能会产生各种不良反应，从而影响患者的依从性。几项研究报告称，服用锂盐单药治疗或与其他精神治疗药物联合治疗的患者会出现性功能和勃起功能障碍。锂盐产生这种副作用的确切机制尚不完全清楚。锂盐相关性功能障碍的发生似乎与中枢和外周机制均有关。在此，我们对既往临床研究中锂盐相关性功能和勃起功能障碍的流行病学进行了综述，并根据既往的临床前研究探讨了可能涉及这种锂盐不良反应的病理途径。了解这些机制可能为治疗锂盐相关性性功能障碍提供新的途径，并提高患者对药物治疗的依从性。
