Abstract
To test the hypothesis that children may be at less risk than adults for acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity due to increased liver glutathione turnover rate, 11 children with rectal temperature greater than 38.5°C, were given a single 10, 20, or 30 mg/kg oral dose. Urine was collected for 12 hours. Glutathione conjugates, APAP-mercapturic acid and APAP-cysteine, were quantitated by high pressure liquid chromatography. Per cent dose was calculated on the basis of a urine creatinine excretion of 12 mg/kg/24 hours. The data are:
These data demonstrate that children excrete glutathione conjugate metabolites of APAP. The conclusions are: 1. children given therapeutic doses of APAP produce greater amounts of the glutathione conjugate metabolites than published for adults at therapeutic doses; 2. this may explain observations of less APAP hepatotoxicity in children compared to adults following overdose.
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Snodgrass, W., Nyman, D. & Rachmel, A. INCREASED ACETAMINOPHEN GLUTATHIONE METABOLITE FORMATION IN CHILDREN - ROLE IN DECREASED CHILDHOOD ACETAMINOPHEN HEPATOTOXICITY. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 145 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00313
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00313
