title: Liquid-chromatographic analysis for common tricyclic antidepressant drugs and their metabolites in serum or plasma with the technicon "FAST-LC" system.
abstract: We describe a single procedure for assay of seven tricyclic antidepressant drugs and metabolites in serum or plasma: protriptyline, nortriptyline, amitriptyline, desmethyldoxepin, doxepin, desipramine, and imipramine. With the Technicon "FAST-LC" system, samples are aspirated directly into the unit and pretreated via double extraction; the concentration of each drug is then determined by "high-performance" liquid chromatography. Final chromatograms are monitored at 205 nm, at analysis rates of 7.5 samples/h. Concentration and absorbance are linearly related for each drug from 0 to 1400 micrograms/L. Day-to-day CVs averaged 5 to 6% for each drug, and there is good correlation of FAST-LC values with those obtained by gas-chromatographic methods. Total sample volume is 750 microliters.
mesh_terms: D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000097:blood; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000097:blood*; D001322:Autoanalysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003891:Desipramine / Q000097:blood; D004316:Doxepin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000097:blood; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000097:blood; D011530:Protriptyline / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D004316:Doxepin; D000639:Amitriptyline; D011530:Protriptyline; D009661:Nortriptyline; D007099:Imipramine; D003891:Desipramine