ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF RIFAXIMIN REDUCES THE LEVELS OF BENZODIAZEPINE-LIKE COMPOUNDS IN PATIENTS WITH LIVER CIRRHOSIS

Benzodiazepine-like compounds are present in trace amounts in the blood of normal subjects and increase in liver cirrhotic patients with or without encephalopathy. Their increased presence may, however, represent an occasional precipitating factor of hepatic encephalopathy. The source of these compo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmacological research 1997-06, Vol.35 (6), p.557-560
Main Authors: ZENEROLI, M.L., VENTURINI, I., STEFANELLI, S., FARINA, F., COSENZA, R., MIGLIOLI, L., MINELLI, E., AMEDEI, R., FERRIERI, A., AVALLONE, R., BARALDI, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
Bacteria - drug effects
Bacteria - metabolism
benzodiazepine-like compounds
Benzodiazepines - blood
Female
Hepatic Encephalopathy - drug therapy
Humans
intestinal bacterial flora
Intestines - microbiology
liver cirrhosis
Liver Cirrhosis - metabolism
Liver Cirrhosis - microbiology
Male
Middle Aged
Rifamycins - pharmacology
rifaximin
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Benzodiazepine-like compounds are present in trace amounts in the blood of normal subjects and increase in liver cirrhotic patients with or without encephalopathy. Their increased presence may, however, represent an occasional precipitating factor of hepatic encephalopathy. The source of these compounds is still unknown, but they are constituents of our diet since benzodiazepine receptor ligands have been described in plants, vegetables and in animals. They may also be synthesized, at least in part, by intestinal bacterial flora. In this article we report that the level of these compounds in the blood decreased by 40% after therapy with rifaximin, which reduces the aerobic and anaerobic intestinal bacterial flora. This observation indicates that intestinal bacterial flora is involved in the production of these compounds and that repeated short-term medications with this non-absorbable antibiotic may be useful in reducing the levels of benzodiazepine-like compounds in patients with liver cirrhosis.
ISSN:1043-6618
1096-1186
DOI:10.1006/phrs.1997.0198