Determination of amitriptyline and some of its metabolites in blood by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

Conditions for the determination of amitriptyline and some of its metabolites in serum on a reversed-phase material (C-8) by high-pressure liquid chromatography with UV detection at 254 nm were systematically investigated. The separation of tricyclic antidepressants is best carried out on a phase system consisting of C-8 bonded-phase material as the stationary phase and water--methanol--dichloromethane--propylamine as the mobile phase. The precision and detection limit of the method and the extraction efficiency were established. A chromatogram of a serum extract from a patient treated with amitriptyline is shown. Serum levels of amitriptyline and its four main metabolites (nortriptyline, desmethylnortriptyline, trans-10-hydroxy-amitriptyline and trans-10-hydroxy-nortriptyline) in a patient receiving 150 mg of amitriptyline daily, are reported.