Valproate-induced metabolic changes in patients with epilepsy: assessment with H-MRS.

PURPOSE: Valproate (VPA) interferes with mitochondrial metabolism causing hyperammonemia, thereby shifting the balance reaction of glutamine (Gln)/glutamate (Glu) toward Gln. In this study we wanted to determine whether metabolic changes could be reproduced in VPA-treated patients with epilepsy and whether the results differed from those known in chronic hepatic encephalopathy (CHE).

METHODS: Seven patients with epilepsy pretreated with VPA and seven healthy volunteers were investigated on a 3T-scanner. We performed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) using a short echo time point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) in the parietal and occipital lobe, respectively. Spectral analysis was performed by LCModel, allowing a separation of Glu and Gln at 3T. Absolute values of myo-Inositol (mI), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), glutamine (Gln), glutamate (Glu), and the sum of Gln and Glu (Glx) were calculated.

RESULTS: In the parietal lobe, mI was significantly decreased in the patients' group compared to the healthy volunteers. After separation of the signals of Gln and Glu, a significant increase of Gln was observed in the parietal lobe in the patients' group. No significant differences in the occipital spectra could be observed between the groups.

DISCUSSION: In VPA-treated patients the alteration of the Glu/Gln ratio differs from that in patients with CHE, where Glx is markedly increased because of an increase in Gln. The expected shift from the biochemical balance reaction of Gln/Glu induced by VPA could be reproduced for the parietal lobe. Significantly reduced mI in the parietal lobe of VPA-treated patients most likely reflects an osmolytic compensation for high Gln.