Assessment by antipyrine test of bupropion enzymic induction in elderly depressed patients
✍ Scribed by M. Bourin; J. N. Colin; M. F. Kergueris; A. Ortega; T. Nebout; A. W. Peck
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1988
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 250 KB
- Volume
- 3
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0885-6222
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Bupropion, a novel antidepressant drug, is known to be a moderate hepatic metabolism-inducer in rodents at high doses but not in young human volunteers. Eleven elderly depressed patients (mean age 76.9 * 8.7 years) entered in the study and received 100 mg of bupropion t.i.d. for 28 days. An antipyrine test was performed before and at day 28 of therapy. Antipyrine was taken orally (15 mg/ kg) at 8 a.m. and blood samples were drawn at 11 a.m., 2,5, and 8 p.m. Plasma levels were assayed using a GLC method. Results show a slight but significant increase of apparent clearance (+30 per cent) and decrease in the half-life (-14 per cent) of antipyrine. Difference between these results and previous results in young volunteers might be explained by the usual decrease of hepatic function described in elderly patients. Bupropion can be considered in elderly people as a slight hepatic enzyme-inducer.