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The transfer of pravastatin in the dually perfused human placenta

J Zarek1, M K DeGorter, A Lubetsky

  • 1Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada.

Placenta
|June 11, 2013
PubMed

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are contraindicated during pregnancy. However, it has been suggested that the hydrophilic property of pravastatin prevents its placental transfer to the fetus, explaining neutral effects observed in controlled studies. Using the ex-vivo placental perfusion model, placental transfer of pravastatin (50 ng/ml) was determined. The mean maximum fetal concentration was 4.4 ng/ml. The transfer of pravastatin's across the placenta appears to be limited and slow. Combined with its rapid elimination half-life of 2 h and 50% protein binding, the transfer of pravastatin from maternal to fetal compartments is substantially more limited than observed in the perfusion experiments.

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