title: Oral nifedipine pharmacokinetics in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics of oral nifedipine were studied in 15 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension in the third trimester of pregnancy to determine if the drug's disposition was different from that in nonpregnant patients. Peak serum concentrations of 38.6 +/- 18 ng/ml occurred at approximately 40 minutes after ingestion of nifedipine 10 mg. The terminal elimination half-life (mean 1.3 +/- 0.5 hrs) was shorter than that reported for normotensive volunteers and nonpregnant hypertensives after oral dosing. Mean +/- SD apparent elimination clearance of 2.0 +/- 0.8 L/hr/kg was more rapid than that in healthy volunteers (mean 0.49 +/- 0.09 L/hr/kg). Random serum concentrations were progressively higher in patients receiving larger daily doses. Nifedipine was detected in samples of fetal cord blood and amniotic fluid at concentrations approximately 93% and 53% those of simultaneous maternal vein samples, respectively. The findings indicate that nifedipine may achieve greater antihypertensive efficacy in pregnant women if administered at shorter intervals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Prevost
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Akl
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Whybrew
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sibai
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third
chemical_list: D009543:Nifedipine