title: Development of morphine glucuronidation in premature neonates.
abstract: In premature neonates (25-34 weeks gestation) who were given morphine intravenously during the first 24 h of life, only morphine, and morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) were detected in plasma obtained after a 2-hour loading infusion, but morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) could also be quantified following 24 h of continuous infusion. M3G/morphine and M6G/morphine plasma concentration ratios increased significantly with increasing birth weight. However, the M6G/M3G plasma concentration ratio decreased with increasing birth weight (and gestational age), thus providing the first indication in vivo of the differential development of uridinediphosphate glucuronosyltransferases in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hartley
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rushforth
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Levene
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D009022:Morphine Derivatives; C035349:morphine-6-glucuronide; D009020:Morphine; C018108:morphine-3-glucuronide