Imipramine serum protein binding in healthy subjects

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Abstract
Imipramine [a tricyclic antidepressant] serum protein binding was measured by equilibrium dialysis in healthy subjects (88 women and 57 men: age 21-79 yr) who were relatively evenly distributed according to age, sex, smoking habits and oral contraceptive use. Average free fraction was 10.9 .+-. 1.4%. Interindividual variation in degree of binding was less than 100%, the free fraction varying from 8%-14.7%. Women age 30-39 yr had significantly lower binding than all other female age groups and lower binding than men age 30-39 yr. Oral contraceptive use and smoking habits did not correlate to degree of binding. Serum concentrations of 12 proteins were measured in subjects with the highest binding (n = 17) and lowest binding (n = 18). The concentration of orosomucoid, complement C3c and apoliproprotein B was higher in the high-binding group than in the low-binding group. Since covariation among concentrations of these 3 proteins was modest, the data indicate a separate significance of the 3 proteins. The binding of 3H-imipramine did not correlate with the albumin concentration.