Symptomatic effect of epomediol in patients with cholestasis of pregnancy Efecto sintomático del epomediol en pacientes con colestasis gravídica.

Abstract

Epomediol is a terpenoid that prevents and reverses cholestasis induced by ethinylestradiol in the rat, apparently by improving liver cell membrane fluidity. Assuming that the pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is related with increased estrogen levels, we studied the effects of epomediol in this disease. Patients hospitalized due to ICP received epomediol 900 mg/day (n = 7), or 1,200 mg/day (n = 4) orally, during 15 days. Biochemical parameters of liver dysfunction (serum bilirubin, bile salts, aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatases) were not modified during nor after epomediol administration. The severity of pruritus was significantly reduced in comparison to pretreatment status, with both doses of epomediol. A greater amelioration of pruritus was observed in patients treated with epomediol 1,200 mg/day than in patients who received 900 mg/day (to 20.7 +/- 6.2, as percent of pre-treatment severity score, versus 48.8 +/- 7.5 respectively; p < 0.05). After epo