Regional distribution and elimination kinetics of imipramine in rat brain after a single intraperitoneal administration.

Measurement and pharmacokinetic analysis of imipramine and its metabolite by brain microdialysis

“…The present findings demonstrate that the brain microdialysis technique, while having been applied almost solely to pharmacodynamic investigations of various neurotransmitters, can also be utilized for pharmacokinetic studies in psychopharmacology which have previously been undertaken mainly by means of the determination of psychotropic drugs in homogenized brain samples from animals (Imip by Masada et al, 1986). The application of microdialysis to the pharmacokinetic study of psychotropic agents, although still limited (diazepam by Dubey et al, 1989; phenobarbitone by Tellez et al, 1992), is of great importance, since microdialysis can detect quite small amounts of psychotropic drugs in the brain directly (detection limit for Imip: 8.9 pg 30 jt1' dialysate) and also because it reflects the intracerebral drug metabolism quite well in free-moving rats without gross damage to the brain.…”