Decrease of urinary levels of adrenergic metabolites including conjugated MHPG after a short term course of diethylpropion in obese children fed a mixed, low-calorie diet.
A short term course (8-11 days) of diethylpropion 50 mg a day was administered to 12 obese children of both sexes fed a mixed low calorie diet containing about 1000 calories/day. A group of 10 obese children received the same diet and no medication. The sex-distribution was similar in both groups as well as the degree of overweight (appreciated by the Quettelet index). The urinary excretion of some noradrenergic derivative (adrenaline-A, noradrenaline-NA, vanillyl-mandelic acid VMA, metanephrines NM and methoxy hydroxyphenyl glycol-MHPG) and of homovanillic acid (HVA) was measured in both groups before and after drug therapy or diet, respectively. After the diethylpropion course, the urinary mean value of MHPG decreased (2.17 +/- 0.30, mean +/- SE vs 1.47 +/- 0.21) but the significance was borderline. The mean level excretion of NA, VMA, MN and HVA were significantly lower following diethylpropion. No significant change was observed in the diet-only group of patients as regards the same determinations. These observations are not entirely explained by the previous pharmacologic knowledge on diethylpropion and other sympathomimetic amines.
C. I. Parhon, Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania.
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Popa
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Stefănescu
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Dumitriu
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004053:Diethylpropion / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006018:Glycols / Q000652:urine*; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000652:urine*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine*; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine
D006018:Glycols; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid; D004053:Diethylpropion; D009638:Norepinephrine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid