Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0042963 (vomiting)
 31,883 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vigabatrin (Sabril) is a gamma-aminobutyric acid-transaminase (GABA-T) inhibitor that is effective in the treatment of certain types of drug-resistant or uncontrolled epilepsy but is known to cause microscopic vacuolation (intramyelinic edema) in the brains of treated rats, mice, and dogs. The effects of high oral doses (300 mg/kg/day) of vigabatrin administered orally to Beagle dogs were studied during treatment weeks 1-12 and recovery weeks 13, 14, 16, 20, 24, and 28. Emesis, loose stools, and anorexia and 3 drug-related deaths were observed during the first 4 wk of treatment but were virtually nonexistent thereafter because of adaptation to the drug aided by food supplementation. In more sensitive areas of the brain (columns of the fornix, thalamus, and hypothalamus), microscopic quantitative differences between background vacuolation in controls and drug-related vacuolation in treated dogs could be delineated after 4 wk, generally reached highest levels of severity between 8 and 12 wk, and were reversible upon cessation of dosing. Inhibition of brain GABA-T and elevation of brain GABA were noted after 1 wk of treatment. During the course of treatment vigabatrin ranged between 4-17 nmol/ml (plasma) and 42-1,570 nmol/ml [cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)] while CSF GABA concentrations were 4-32 nmol/ml (treated dogs) and 0.1-0.6 nmol/ml (control dogs). Although the cause of vigabatrin-induced microvacuolation is unknown, the results of the study demonstrated that GABA-T inhibition with subsequent GABA elevation occurred within the first week of treatment and was followed by the onset of detectable microvacuolation several weeks later.
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PMID:Sequential neuropathology of dogs treated with vigabatrin, a GABA-transaminase inhibitor. 811 24

There is currently little evidence available concerning the risks of foetal exposure to new anti-epileptic drugs such as lamotrigine, vigabatrin, gabapentine, topiramate. A small number of malformations without organ specificity have been described and are not easy to interpret because of the existence of concomitant treatments. We have reported a series of 12 pregnancies with exposure to recent anti-epilepticdrugs and that were reported to the Post-marketing Surveillance office in Tours, France. Five concerned Lamictal of which 2 related to monotherapy, one concerned Epitomax used in monotherapy and there were 6 cases of polytherapy including Sabril. Associated drug therapies were Depakine, Tegretol, Rivotril and Urbanyl. Six of the patients were on folic acid supplements. The average age of the women was 26.5 years. In each case, treatment had been initiated before conception and was continued for at least 3 months. Of the 12 babies born, only one presented with a malformation (aplasia of the muscle of the left lower lip and asymmetrical abduction of the hips) following exposure to Lamictal and Depakine. Four infants, two of whom were premature, showed signs of neonatal stress: transient respiratory distress and difficulty in taking feeding-bottles following exposure throughout the pregnancy to Epitomax; suction disorders, hypotonia and vomiting were observed after exposure to Sabril, Tegretol and Rivotril throughout the pregnancy; respiratory distress and apnoea--bradycardia were observed after exposure throughout the pregnancy to Lamictal and Urbanyl; respiratory distress and thrombocytopaenia were observed after exposure throughout the pregnancy to Lamictal". This small series confirms that the current data concerning the teratogenicity of new anti-epileptic drugs are as yet insufficient to exclude any teratogenic risk. Consequently, strict adherence to current recommendations relating to drug use during pregnancy is essential. The treatment of all patients wishing to become pregnant should be discussed.
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PMID:[New antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy: outcome of 12 exposed pregnancies]. 1242 60