Abstract
Valproate (VPA) is known to cause carnitine (C) deficiency, 10 children receiving chronic VPA treatment were given equimolar C (1.2 mg C/mg VPA) concomitantly for 14 days. The plasma level of β hydroxybutyrate was lower in VPA treated children than in the control subjects (31.8-7.4 vs 90.0±21.4 nmol/ml, means±SEM, p (p0.05), Which remained unchanged after the C treatment (29.7±7.1), showing that the C was not able in itself to improve the plasma ketone level. The plasma level of FFA, triglycerides and cholesterol remained unaffected by C treatment, the level of HDL cholesterol decreased in the supplemented group. The daily excreted total N was not affected by C treatment (6.0 ±0.5, 7.3±0.3 and 7.3±1.0 g/day; day 0, 14 and control subjects) with no changes of excreted urea and ammonia suggesting,that the organism does not utilize proteins (and/or amino aoids) as alternative fuels instead of ketone bodies during VPA treatment.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Melegh, B., Lakatos, J., Aosádi, G. et al. 12 L-CARNITINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN CHRONIC VALPROATE TREATMENT. Pediatr Res 24, 262 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00038
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00038