In 2008, for example, researchers reported in the journal Cell that lithium interrupts the activity of a receptor for the neurotransmitter dopamine. It also appears to plump up brain volume, according to a 2011 study in the journal Biological Psychiatry (though this research is hotly contested).
Poison ivy produces an oily chemical (urushiol) onto the surface of its leaves. When people come in contact with poison ivy, the urushiol can cause an allergic skin reaction that produces reddish, itchy, and painful inflammation of the skin (dermatitis). Close relatives of poison ivy plants that produce similar dermatitis symptoms are poison oak and poison sumac.
Quick Answer. A poison ivy rash is not contagious and coming into contact with a blister or its fluid content will not transmit the rash to another person. What causes the rash is the oil called urushiol. Plants such as poison ivy, sumac and poison oak contain this chemical which causes allergic reactions in people, states Mayo Clinic. Continue Reading.