Assay of human plasma for nortriptyline by radioacetylation and thin-layer chromatography

A highly specific and sensitive thin-layer chromatographic method for determining nortriptyline levels in plasma is presented. The procedure involves extracting nortriptyline, acetylating it with radioactive acetic anhydride, resolving acetylnortriptyline by thin-layer chromatography, and measuring its radioactivity.