Anticonvulsants and Busulfan

Excerpt To the Editor:Two recent letters (1, 2) described the use of anticonvulsants to prevent seizures secondary to high-dose busulfan therapy as a preparative regimen for bone marrow transplantation. Little is known of the metabolic profile of busulfan in humans. However, it appears that busulfan activity is mediated by the parent compound, as metabolites detected in the urine of rats have not been found to show cytotoxic activity in vitro (3). Cytochrome P-450, one of the primary components of the oxidative enzyme system, is responsible for the biotransformation of many drugs and may be involved in busulfan metabolism. Because phenytoin...