title: [Pharmacokinetics and plasma concentration of polycyclic antidepressants. General review of the product].
abstract: To date 39 studies have been published on the relationships between the plasma levels of polycyclic antidepressants and their clinical efficacy. The results of 24 of these studies show significant relationships to variable degrees. No correlation was found in the others 15. This quota does not seem to be changed by preliminary results of studies not yet published. The particular analysis of 34 of these studies indicates that plasma levels of two tricyclic (nortriptyline and imipramine) are unequivocally related to clinical efficacy (plasma levels of imipramine are the results of imipramine and desipramine cumulated levels). The correlations are the highest for non delusionnal endogenous depressions. The results are contradictory for amitriptyline, a fact which may be attributed to methodological discrepancies such as: the choice of diagnositc criteria, the choice of sampling week, the number of samples, the sensitiveness and the specificity of the analysis. More recents drugs (butriptyline, maprotiline, mianserine, etc.) have led to a limited number of studies, yet insufficient to allow conclusions. The neuroleptic association increases the plasma levels of polycyclic antidepressants. Benzodiazepines do not change them whereas all the hepatic enzymaic inductors decrease them.
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000097:blood; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
vernacular_title: Pharmacocinétique et concentrations plasmatiques des antidépreseurs polycycliques. Une revue générale des produits.