Calciumfolinate (folinic acid)
Indications
Calciumfolinate (folinic acid) is used for:
1.Antidote for methotrexate toxicity
2.Folate-deficient megaloblastic anaemia
3.Adjunct to fluorouracil in colorectal cancer
Adult Dose
Child Dose
Renal Dose
Administration
Contra Indications
Precautions
Pregnancy-Lactation
Interactions
Adverse Effects
Side effects of Calciumfolinate (folinic acid) :
Mechanism of Action
Folinic acid is a 5-formyl derivative of tetrahydrofolic acid. It is readily converted to other reduced folic acid derivatives (e.g., tetrahydrofolate), and, thus, has vitamin activity that is equivalent to that of folic acid. However, since it does not require the action of dihydrofolate reductase for its conversion, its function as a vitamin is unaffected by inhibition of this enzyme by drugs such as methotrexate.
Folinic acid, therefore, allows for some purine/pyrimidine synthesis to occur in the presence of dihydrofolate reductase inhibition, so that some normal DNA replication and RNA transcription processes can proceed.