Summary
Five identical (monozygotic) and 6 fraternal (dizygotic) sets of healthy twins between 47 and 53 years of age were given a single oral dose of nortriptyline (NT) hydrochloride 1 mg/kg. The plasma half-life, the apparent volume of distribution, and the plasma clearance of NT were estimated for each subject as well as the urinary excretion rate of conjugated and unconjugated 10-hydroxynortriptyline (10-OH-NT). “Steady-state” plasma levels predicted from the reciprocal single dose plasma clearance rate of NT agreed well with those observed in a previous study of the same twins 2 years previously. In the present study, there was a 5-fold range of the plasma half-lives and 2-fold variation in the apparent volume of distribution of NT (assuming complete availability on oral administration). No correlation was found between the plasma half-life and the apparent volume of distribution. Analysis of variance showed that most of the variability between persons in plasma half-life, apparent volume of distribution and conjugation of 10-OH-NT was genetically determined. The plasma half-life and apparent volume of distribution may contribute independently to the total interindividual variability of the “steady-state” plasma level of NT.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexanderson, B.: Pharmacokinetics of nortriptyline in man after single and multiple oral doses: The predictability of steady-state plasma concentrations from single-dose plasma-level data. Europ. J. clin. Pharmacol.4, 82–91 (1972a).
Alexanderson, B.: Pharmacokinetics of desmethylimipramine and nortriptyline in man after single and multiple oral doses — a cross-over study. Europ. J. clin. Pharmacol.5, 1–10 (1972b).
Alexanderson, B., Borgå, O.: Interindividual differences in plasma protein binding of nortriptyline in man — a twin study. Europ. J. clin. Pharmacol.4, 196–200 (1972).
Alexanderson, B., Borgå, O.: Urinary excretion of nortriptyline and five of its metabolites in man after single and multiple oral doses. Europ. J. clin. Pharmacol.5, 174–180 (1973).
Alexanderson, B., Sjöqvist, F.: Individual differences in the pharmacokinetics of monomethylated tricyclic antidepressants: role of genetic and environmental factors and clinical importance. N.Y. Acad. Sci.179, 739–751 (1971).
Alexanderson, B., Borgå, O., Alván, G.: The availability of orally administered nortriptyline. Europ. J. clin. Pharmacol.5, 181–185 (1973).
Alexanderson, B., Evans, D.A.P., Sjöqvist, F.: Steady-state plasma levels of nortriptyline in twins: Influence of genetic factors and drug therapy. Brit. med. J.4, 764–768 (1969).
Borgå, O., Garle, M.: A gas chromatographic method for the determination of nortriptyline and some of its metabolites in human plasma and urine. J. Chromatogr.68, 77–88 (1972).
Borgå, O., Palmér, L., Linnarsson, A., Holmstedt, B.: Quantitative determination of nortriptyline and desmethylnortripty-line in human plasma by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Anal. Letters4, 837–849 (1971).
Braithwaite, R.A., Widdop, B.: A specific gas-chromatographic method for the measurement of “steady-state” plasma levels of amitriptyline and nortriptyline in patients. Clin. chim. Acta35, 461–472 (1971).
Braithwaite, R.A., Goulding, R., Theano, G., Bailey, J., Coppen, A.: Plasma concentrations of amitriptyline and clinical response. Lancet1972 I, 1297–1300.
Cucinell, S.A., Perl, W.: Application of clearance and volume of distribution to the plateau principle of drugs. J. Pharm. Sci.59, 1423–1427 (1970).
Gibaldi, M., Nagashima, R., Levy, G.: Relationship between drug concentration in plasma or serum and amount of drug in the body. J. Pharm. Sci.58, 193–197 (1969).
Gibaldi, M., Boyes, R.N., Feldman, S.: Influence of first-pass effect on availability of drugs on oral administration. J. Pharm. Sci.60, 1338–1340 (1971).
Hammer, W., Ideström, C.-M., Sjöqvist, F.: Chemical control of antidepressant drug therapy. In: Garratini, S., Dukes, M. N.G. (eds.), Proc. First. Internat. Symp. Antidepressant Drugs, Milan, Italy 1966, Excerpta med. Int. Congr. Ser. No. 122, 301–310 (1966).
Kragh-Sørensen, P., Åsberg, M., Eggert-Hansen, C.: Plasma nortriptyline levels in endogenous depression. Lancet1973 I, 113–115.
Moody, J.P., Tait, A.C., Todrick, A.: Plasma levels of imipramine and desmethylimipramine during therapy. Brit. J. Psychiat.113, 183–193 (1967).
Schildkraut, J.J., Kety, S.S.: Biogenic amines and emotion. Science156, 21–30 (1967).
Sjöqvist, F., Alexanderson, B., Åsberg, M., Bertilsson, L., Borgå, O., Hamberger, B., Tuck, D.: Pharmacokinetics and biological effects of nortriptyline in man. Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol.29, (Suppl. 3) 255–280 (1971).
Snedechor, G.W., Cochran, W.G.: Statistical methods, 6th ed., p. 285. Ames: Iowa State University Press 1967.
Strandell, T., Erwald, R., Kulling, K.G., Lundbergh, P. Marions, O., Wiechel, K.L.: Simulataneous determination of portal vein and hepatic artery blood flow by indicator dilution technique in awake man. Preliminary report. Acta med. scand.191, 139–140 (1972).
Wagner, J.G.: Pharmacokinetics. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: J.M. Richards Laboratory (ed.) 1969.
Wagner, J.G., Northam, J.I., Alway, C.D., Carpenter, O.S.: Blood levels of drug at equilibrium state after multiple dosing. Nature (London)207, 1301–1302 (1965).
Åsberg, M., Cronholm, B., Sjöqvist, F., Tuck, D.: The correlation of subjective side-effects with plasma concentrations of nortriptyline. Brit. med. J.4, 18–21 (1970).
Åsberg, M., Cronholm, B., Sjöqvist, F., Tuck, D.: Relationship between plasma level and therapeutic effect of nortriptyline. Brit. med. J.3, 331–334 (1971a).
Åsberg, M., Evans, D.A.P., Sjöqvist, F.: Genetic control of nortriptyline kinetics in man: A study of the relatives of propositi with high plasma concentration. J. med. Genetics8, 129–135 (1971b).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alexanderson, B. Prediction of steady-state plasma levels of nortriptyline from single oral dose kinetics: A study in twins. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 6, 44–53 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561800
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561800