The role of albumin conformation in the binding of diazepam to human serum albumin.

The effect of hydrogen, chloride and calcium ions on the binding of diazepam to human serum albumin has been studied by circular dichroism and equilibrium dialysis. In all cases the molar ellipticity of the diazepam-albumin complex increases with pH over the pH range 5 to 9. Under these conditions the free concentration of diazepam at a constant low drug to protein ratio decreases with pH. This free concentration is higher in the presence of chloride and calcium ions. With a two state conformational model for albumin it was shown, that the pH dependences of molar ellipticity of the diazepam-albumin complex and of the free concentration of diazepam are linked. It was demonstrated that the N-B transition of albumin is involved in the pH dependent binding of diazepam. The consequences of these findings for equilibrium dialysis procedures in determining free plasma levels of diazepam are discussed.