Abstract

USTARIZ, Francisco et al. Aminotransferase levels in patients with neurological disorders treated with valproic acid. Novasinergia [online]. 2022, vol.5, n.1, pp.163-180.  Epub Jan 31, 2022. ISSN 2631-2654.  https://doi.org/10.37135/ns.01.09.10.

Abstract: Valproic acid is an anti-seizure drug characterized by increasing brain levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Thus, it has been widely used to treat epilepsy and various neurological disorders. However, there are contradictory reports on its hepatotoxic effect. The objective of this work was to analyze the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes in patients with neurological disorders treated with valproic acid. Thirty-eight patients treated with valproic acid and 10 individuals without treatment (control group) were studied. Whole blood samples obtained by venipuncture were processed. Aminotransferase levels were determined from the serum obtained by Molecular Absorption Spectrophotometry. The data was processed using the Mann-Whitney tests, Dunnett-ANOVA method to establish the statistical significance of the results. It was determined that there are no statistically significant differences between the serum levels of aminotransferases in both groups (treated with valproic acid and control) and the reference enzyme levels. Therefore, in this exploratory study, the pharmacological action of valproic acid did not reveal the induction of intrinsic or idiosyncratic reactions of importance on hepatic metabolism mediated by aminotransferases in the population studied.

Keywords : Aminotransferases; epilepsy; hepatotoxicity; neurological disorders; transaminases; valproic acid.

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