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Published on: February 11, 2019
Effect of sodium valproate on midazolam distribution
R Calvo1, E Suárez, J M Rodríguez-Sasiaín
1Dept. Farmacología, Fac. Medicina Univ. del País Vasco, Campus de Leioa, Vizcaya, Spain.
Abstract:
The displacement of midazolam, a new water-soluble, short acting benzodiazepine, from its plasma binding sites by sodium valproate, has been studied in man. An increase of its free fraction (ranging from 2.71 to 5.35%) in plasma from epileptic patients receiving sodium valproate was observed. A similar situation was created in rabbits by pretreatment with sodium valproate (600 mg kg-1 day-1) and posterior hypnosis with midazolam. Due to the interaction, sodium valproate-pretreated rabbits showed an increase in midazolam brain levels (130.91 micrograms g-1 in cortex vs 84.55 micrograms g-1 in control animals). Therefore, it seems likely that displacement of midazolam by sodium valproate in epileptic patients could lead to an increase of the midazolam response.
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