Quantitative Determination of Nortriptyline And Desmethylnortriptyline In Human Plasma By Combined Gas Ciiromatography - Mass Spectrometry

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A quantitative method has been developed for the determination of the tricyclic antidepressant drug nortriptyline in plasma, utilizing a combined technique of gas chromatography - mass spectrometry called mass fragmentography. A metabolite, desmethylnortriptyline, may be analyzed in the same run. The compounds are first converted to their heptafluorobutyranide derivatives. A complete chromatogram takes less than five minutes. Quantitive determinations under the present conditions are possible down to a few nanograms of nortriptyline per milliliter. There is a good correlation between the new method and that previously used which was based upon in vitro 3 11-acetylation labelling.