Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Imepitoin's effect on thyroid and fat in healthy Beagles
By Bossens, K et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2016·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The effect of imepitoin, a recently developed antiepileptic drug, on thyroid parameters and fat metabolism in healthy Beagle dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy Beagle dogs was given either imepitoin, a new medication for controlling seizures, or phenobarbital, a traditional seizure medication, to see how these drugs affected thyroid health and fat metabolism. Over 18 weeks, the dogs taking imepitoin showed no changes in thyroid hormone levels, while those on phenobarbital had lower thyroid hormone levels. Interestingly, the dogs on imepitoin did experience a slight increase in cholesterol, but it wasn't as high as what is typically seen in dogs with thyroid problems. This suggests that imepitoin may be a safer option for managing seizures without affecting thyroid function.
People also search for: Beagle seizures treatment · imepitoin for dogs · phenobarbital side effects · dog thyroid health · cholesterol in dogs
Abstract
Since early 2013, imepitoin has been used in most European countries for the management of recurrent single generalised epileptic seizures in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. It has been reported that imepitoin is as effective as phenobarbital (PB) in controlling seizures in dogs with newly diagnosed idiopathic epilepsy and it has a clinically superior safety profile. As the use of imepitoin gains popularity, its effect on serum thyroid parameters warrants further investigation since long-term PB administration influences thyroid parameters in dogs, which could lead to misinterpretation of laboratory results and incorrect diagnosis of thyroidal illness. A prospective study was conducted to compare the effect of orally administered PB and imepitoin on serum concentrations of total thyroxine (TT4), triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroglobulin autoantibodies, thyroid-stimulating hormone, cholesterol and triglycerides in healthy Beagle dogs. These parameters were determined prior to and at 6, 12 and 18 weeks after antiepileptic drug administration. The starting dose of PB (5 mg/kg PO twice daily; range, 4.4-6.0 mg/kg) was monitored and adjusted to obtain optimal therapeutic serum concentrations (30-35 g/mL). Imepitoin was administered at 30 mg/kg PO twice daily (range, 29.2-35.7 mg/kg). Imepitoin administration did not affect any of the thyroid parameters over an 18-week period. In contrast, serum TT4 concentrations decreased significantly over time in dogs receiving PB (P <0.05). Serum cholesterol concentrations increased significantly over time in dogs in the imepitoin group, but not to the same extent as commonly seen in dogs with primary hypothyroidism.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27240915/