Abstract
Previously established as a chemotherapeutic agent for decades, methotrexate has been adapted for use as a medical therapy for unruptured ectopic pregnancies. Its mechanism of action, competitive inhibition of folate-dependent steps in nucleic acid synthesis, effectively kills the rapidly dividing ectopic trophoblast. However, the same action on normal cells is the basis for many of its adverse effects.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 433-439 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2012 |
Keywords
- Methotrexate
- ectopic pregnancy
- methotrexate/pharmacokinetics
- methotrexate/toxicity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology