title: Ontogeny of valproic acid disposition and metabolism: a developmental study in postnatal lambs and adult sheep.
abstract: The ontogeny of valproic acid (VPA) disposition and metabolism was investigated in developing lambs and adult sheep (Dorset or Suffolk breed). Specifically, we wished to investigate the role of glucuronidation and beta-oxidation on VPA elimination during development. Catheters were implanted in a carotid artery, a jugular vein, and the urinary bladder in 10-day-old (10 d; n = 8), 1-month-old (1 M; n = 4), and 2-month-old lambs (2 M; n = 5). In adult sheep (n = 5), catheters were implanted in a femoral artery and vein. After the administration of a 10 mg/kg VPA i.v. bolus, serial blood samples and cumulative urine samples were collected for 36 h in the adult ewes and for 72 h in the lambs. Due to saturable protein binding, age-related differences in VPA clearance were more obvious when examining the total body clearance of unbound drug (Cl(u)tb). Mean Cl(u)tb increased significantly with age up to 2 months (10 d = 2.65 +/- 1.16 ml/min/kg; 1 M = 5.11 +/- 2.49 ml/min/kg; 2 M = 12.84 +/- 3.88 ml/min/kg) before decreasing to adult levels (7.73 +/- 2.64 ml/min/kg). Similarly, the urinary recovery of the major metabolite, VPA-glucuronide, was significantly less in 10 d lambs (29.2 +/- 16.0% of the dose) when compared with the adult and 2 M groups (both approximately 74% of the dose). No differences with age were observed in the portion of the dose excreted as the beta-oxidation metabolite, 2-n-propyl-3-oxopentanoic acid. The results suggest that alterations in Cl(u)tb with age may be attributable to postnatal development of enzymes involved in VPA glucuronidation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rurak
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Riggs
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000652:urine; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012756:Sheep; D013997:Time Factors; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001798:Blood Proteins; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; C091207:4-hydroxyvalproate; C041285:valproic acid glucuronide; C014168:2-propyl-2-pentenoic acid; D014635:Valproic Acid; D020723:Glucuronic Acid