Biomaterial Database

Ammonia and carnitine concentrations in children treated with sodium valproate compared with other anticonvulsant drugs. 1991

H Thom, and P E Carter, and G F Cole, and K L Stevenson

Department of Child Health, University of Aberdeen, Medical School, Foresterhill.

Plasma ammonia was measured in 59 children requiring anticonvulsant drugs: 37 children (group 1) on sodium valproate alone or in combination with other drugs and 22 children (group 2) on drugs other than sodium valproate. Plasma ammonia was higher in group 1 children. Total and free carnitine was measured in plasma and erythrocytes of all children and in the urine of 16 children from group 1 and eight from group 2. Plasma and erythrocyte free carnitine was significantly lower in the children on sodium valproate, along with a significant increase in the ratio of acyl (bound) carnitine to free carnitine. No significant correlation was found between plasma ammonia and carnitine concentrations for either group of children. Plasma and erythrocyte concentrations were not related. Urinary free carnitine was reduced in children treated with valproate, with a significant increase in the ratio of bound to free carnitine. Carnitine supplementation is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D002331	Carnitine	A constituent of STRIATED MUSCLE and LIVER. It is an amino acid derivative and an essential cofactor for fatty acid metabolism.	Bicarnesine,L-Carnitine,Levocarnitine,Vitamin BT,L Carnitine
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004827	Epilepsy	A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313)	Aura,Awakening Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Auras,Cryptogenic Epilepsies,Cryptogenic Epilepsy,Epilepsies,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Epilepsy, Awakening,Seizure Disorders
D004912	Erythrocytes	Red blood cells. Mature erythrocytes are non-nucleated, biconcave disks containing HEMOGLOBIN whose function is to transport OXYGEN.	Blood Cells, Red,Blood Corpuscles, Red,Red Blood Cells,Red Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, Red,Blood Corpuscle, Red,Erythrocyte,Red Blood Cell,Red Blood Corpuscle
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000641	Ammonia	A colorless alkaline gas. It is formed in the body during decomposition of organic materials during a large number of metabolically important reactions. Note that the aqueous form of ammonia is referred to as AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE.