The influence of antiepileptic drugs on vitamin B6 metabolism.

Vitamin B6 nutriture was measured by means of determination of activity of EGOT in 30 and of serum pyridoxal phosphate in 27 epileptic children under antiepileptic treatment with various antiepileptic drugs and with hydantoin and succinimide alone, 25 healthy infants and children were controls. Under the treatment with antiepileptic drugs, especially with hydantoin and succinimide a depression of the activity of EGOT and the level of pyridoxal-phosphate in serum followed. As an induction of vitamin B6 dependnet enzyme activity can be excluded a possible explanation for the disturbance in vitamin B6 metabolism could be the inhibition of activity of pyridoxalkinase. We consider the administration of vitamin B6 in addition to hydantoin and succinimide as appropriate.