title: Drug metabolizing enzymes in the perinatal and neonatal period: differences in the expression and activity.
abstract: Physiological changes occurring perinatally and in the first month of life can affect the answer to a pharmacological treatment and the individual response to a drug in terms of efficacy and toxicity is highly variable in the neonatal population. Among potential causes for such variability, differences in drug metabolism may have a great impact. This article aims to review qualitative and quantitative differences in drug metabolizing enzymes in neonates, since both phase I and phase II metabolic pathways are immature at birth and subject to maturational changes in the first period of extrauterine life. Moreover, clinical implications will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health & Community Medicine-Section of Pharmacology, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 37134 Verona, Italy. laura.cuzzolin@univr.it
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuzzolin
mesh_terms: D001711:Biotransformation; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism*; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D014166:Transferases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D014166:Transferases; D006867:Hydrolases; D004950:Esterases