Quantitation of iprindole in plasma by GLC

A specific, sensitive, rapid, and reproducible method for iprindole in human plasma was developed using gas chromatography with trimipramine as internal standard. The sensitivity of the method is of 5 ng ml-1 and a linearity was obtained for concentrations ranging from 12.5 ng ml-1 to 100 ng ml-1 with a regression coefficient of 0.9872. The plasma levels of iprindole were determined in five healthy volunteers following the administration of a single oral dose of 60 mg and in four patients admitted for endogenous depression after a 3-week administration of 90 mg d-1. Following a single oral dose to healthy volunteers, the maximum concentrations occurred between 2 and 4 h after administration of the drug and the mean half-life value was 52.5 h. In patients the steady-state concentrations of iprindole ranged between 18 and 77 ng ml-1.