Antipyrine pharmacokinetics and D-glucaric excretion in kwashiorkor

Hepatic microsomal oxidation and glucuronidation were studied in 15 children with kwashiorkor on admission to the hospital and again after 3 weeks of nutritional rehabilitation. Microsomal oxidation as measured by antipyrine half-life and clearance was shown to be depressed in the acute phase of malnutrition (T 1/2 = 7.9 +/- 5.0 hr, clearance = 8.4 +/- 5.1 ml/min) improving with nutritional rehabilitation (T 1/2 = 4.3 +/- 2.3 hr, clearance = 15.5 +/- 8.7 ml/min). Urinary D-glucaric acid excretion increased from 60.6 +/- 42.2 mumoles/24 hr to 121.8 +/- 105.0 mumoles/24 hr over the same time period. Evidence is thus presented that both hepatic microsomal oxidation and glucuronidation are depressed in the acute phase of kwashiorkor but recover with nutritional rehabilitation.