Erythrocyte membrane sodium-potassium and magnesium ATPase in primary affective disorder

Erythrocyte membrane Mg2+ ATPase and Na+-K+ ATPase were measured in patients with affective disorder, their well relatives, and normal controls during euthymic moods. On the average, the Mg2+ ATPase activity was high in subjects belonging to affective disorder families. However, the difference between normal and affective disordered individuals was not statistically significant. Only the well individuals from affective disorder pedigrees as a group had significantly higher than normal Mg2+ ATPase activity (p less than 0.05). The Na+-K+ ATPase activity was similar for all the groups, including normal, bipolar manic-depressive (with or without lithium), unipolar depressive, and well individuals. Lithium treatment did not seem to have any effect on Mg2+ ATPase. Even though the values of Na+-K+ ATPase in the lithium-treated group were high, it is not certain that this was due to lithium per se.