Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in rat brain following chronic treatment with lithium, imipramine, reserpine, and combinations of lithium with imipramine or reserpine.

The adaptability of the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) following chronic treatment (4-6 weeks) with lithium, reserpine, imipramine, and combinations of lithium with imipramine or reserpine has been studied in rat brain tissue. All drugs, except lithium, were given intraperitoneally once a day. Control animals received only vehicle. Lithium was given in the diet in a concentration yielding a plasma level of 0.5-0.6 mmol/l. The PDE activity was measured in homogenates from cerebral cortex and "limbic" forebrain. These two brain areas were both found to contain three types of PDE activity. One was mainly associated with the pellet after a 10,000 X g centrifugation for 10 min. This enzyme hydrolyzed both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP with a Km value of 130 +/- 48 microM for cyclic AMP, but was insensitive to calcium and calmodulin. Two types were mainly found in the supernatant after the centrifugation with Km values cyclic AMP of 300 +/- 108 microM and 4 +/- 3 microM, respectively. The former hydrolyzed both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP and was stimulated 7-fold by calcium and calmodulin, while the latter only hydrolyzed cyclic AMP and was insensitive to calcium and calmodulin. None of the treatments affected the "pellet" enzyme or the low affinity enzyme from the supernatant. However, lithium treatment, even combined with reserpine or imipramine, increased the high affinity enzyme. This increase was also apparent in the DEAE-ion exchange chromatographic profile of the PDE enzymes.