Effect of lithium and rubidium on the sleeping time caused by various intravenous anaesthetics in the mouse.

The effects of acute and long-term lithium (LiCl) and rubidium chloride (RbCl) treatments on the sleeping time caused by intravenous thipentone, methohexitone, ketamine, propanidid. Althesin and diazepam were studied in white mice. The doses of the anasthetic agents were selected from the dose-response experiments. When given acutely, LiCl 5 m-equiv/kg prolonged significantly the sleeping time caused by both of the barbiturates, whereas RbCl given for 21 days in tap water shortened the sleeping time induced by methohexitone and ketamine. Both LiCl and RbCl, given acutely, enhanced the sleeping time caused by diazepam. The rectal temperatures were lower in the LiCl-treated mice than in the control and RbCl-treated mice.