Skip to main content
Log in

Transplacental passage and breast milk concentrations of hydralazine

  • Originals
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The concentrations of “real” and “apparent” (= “real” hydralazine + acid-labile hydrazones) hydralazine in maternal and umbilical plasma obtained at delivery of 6 women treated with hydralazine and atenolol for pregnancy hypertension were measured by gas chromatography. In one of the patients, the concentrations of the same substances were subsequently measured in breast milk. “Apparent” hydralazine reached higher levels in umbilical than in maternal blood. The concentration of “real” hydralazine seemed to be at least as high in the fetus as in the mother. On the other hand, even though the fraction of “real” (i.e. presumably active) hydralazine was greater in milk than in plasma, the total concentration was smaller, and the estimated dose per milk feed of 75ml would not exceed 0.013mg. Thus, hydralazine treatment of the pregnant woman would expose her fetus to effective concentrations of the drug, but breast feeding would not result in a clinically relevant concentration in the infant.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gant NF, Worley RJ (1980) Hypertension in pregnancy. Concepts and Management. Appleton, New York

    Google Scholar 

  2. Zak SB, Lucas G, Gilleran TG (1977) Plasma levels of real and “apparent” hydralazine in man and rat. Drug Metab Dispos 5: 116–121

    Google Scholar 

  3. Reece PA, Stanley PE, Zacest R (1978) Interference in assays for hydralazine in humans by a major plasma metabolite, hydralazine pyruvic acid hydrazone. J Pharm Sci 67: 1150–1153

    Google Scholar 

  4. Jack DB, Brechbühler S, Degen PH, Zbinden P, Riess W (1975) The determination of hydralazine in plasma by gas liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr 115: 87–92

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liedholm, H., Wåhlin-Boll, E., Hanson, A. et al. Transplacental passage and breast milk concentrations of hydralazine. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 21, 417–419 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00542329

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00542329

Key words

Navigation