Abstract
The authors report on the first metabolically controlled study of rubidium chloride administered to humans. Four subjects were given doses of 8.2–12.4 meq. RbCl in a single day, and biological half lives calculated from urinary excretion ranged from 21–55 days. A long term study of chronic rubidium loading in one of these subjects demonstrated no undesirable clinical side effects. After ingestion of a total dose of 268 meq. within a period of 75 days a plasma level of 0.16 meq./liter rubidium was obtained. Urinary excretion proceeded at a rate consistent with a 50 day half life.
The authors speculate on the potential usefulness of RbCl for modification of behavior and affect.
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We are indebted to Mrs. Ann Thomas for a comprehensive survey of the rubidium literature, particularly in the area of early human experimentation.
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Fieve, R.R., Meltzer, H.L. & Taylor, R.M. Rubidium chloride ingestion by volunteer subjects: Initial experience. Psychopharmacologia 20, 307–314 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403562
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403562