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Metabolic effects of oral salbutamol in late pregnancy

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Summary

Ten women in late pregnancy were given an oral dose of salbutamol 4 mg. Heart-rate and blood-pressure were recorded and blood-samples for measurement of cyclic AMP, C-peptide, glucose, lactate, glycerol, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) were collected every 30 min for 120 min. In seven of the women the same experiment was performed without the salbutamol. After salbutamol maternal heart-rate was significantly increased at 30 and 90 min, and diastolic blood-pressure was significantly decreased between 30 and 120 min; systolic blood-pressure was unaltered. Plasma cyclic AMP was significantly increased by salbutamol at 30 and 120 min and C-peptide at 60 min. Plasma glucose was significantly elevated 60 min after salbutamol and glycerol after 90 min. Plasma NEFA and 3-HB increased both with and without the drug, with a tendency towards higher levels in the group that received salbutamol. Lactate levels were unchanged after salbutamol and fell when the drug was not given, but the difference was not significant. The results show clear circulatory and metabolic effects of a single clinical dose of salbutamol.

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Lunell, N.O., Wager, J., Fredholm, B.B. et al. Metabolic effects of oral salbutamol in late pregnancy. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 14, 95–99 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00607438

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00607438

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