Treatment of lactic acidosis: effects of dichloroacetate on lactate and pyruvate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid

✍ Scribed by I. Okabe; H. Kodama; H. Shimoizumi; S. Kamoshita; S. Miyabayashi

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 89 KB
• Volume: 145
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0340-6997
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00441886

✦ Synopsis

Sir: Dichloroacetate (DCA, 15-20 mg/kg per day) was given orally twice daily to a 12-mouth-old boy with congenital lactic acidosis [1,3]. The clinical and laboratory findings were compatible with Leigh syndrome [2]. Enzyme activities associated with lactate metabolism were normal in his fibroblasts (Table 1). While blood lactate and pyruvate decreased from a mean value of 90 mg/dl and 3.6mg/dl to 18mg/dl and 0.8mg/dl, respectively, CSF lactate decreased from 70.6 mg/dl to 9.1 mg/dl and CSF pyruvate from 4.0mg/dl to 0.5 mg/dl. Both blood and CSF lactate and pyruvate returned to the previously noted high levels after interruption of DCA administration. No effect was observed on the neurological deterioration.