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Oral nifedipine pharmacokinetics in pregnancy-induced hypertension
R R Prevost1, S A Akl, W D Whybrew
1Department of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis.
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.
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.