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Genetic and environmental influence on halothane metabolism in twins
Author(s) -
Cascorbi H. F.,
Vesell E. S.,
Blake D. A.,
Helrich M.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt197112150
Subject(s) - halothane , metabolite , identical twins , urine , chemistry , half life , metabolism , anesthesia , physiology , medicine , pharmacokinetics , biochemistry
Wehave shown that normal human volunteers convert between 5 and 25 per cent of a small intravenous dose of halothane‐C 14 to a urinary metabolite. 2 The large individual variations in the extent of halothane biotransformation were thought to be attributable at least in part to exposure, because anesthesiologists who used halothane had a high capacity for metabolizing it. In order to evaluate possible genetic determinants, ten pairs of (identical and fraternal) twins, in whom antipyrine half‐life had been previously measured, were studied. 9, 12 For both antipyrine and halothane, intrapair difJerences were less in identical than in fraternal twins. The normalized intrapair per cent difJerences of halothane metabolite excreted in 24 hours varied from 2.4 to 17.3 per cent in identical twins and from 2.9 to 70.0 per cent in fraternal twins. In individual twins there was no correlation between capacity to metabolize halothane and antipyrine half‐life.