THE EFFECT OF AGE ON PLASMA-LEVEL OF SETIPTILINE MALEATE IN DEPRESSED-PATIENTS

1. Setiptiline maleate (SPT) was administered orally to 45 subjects ag ed 22-86 years and steady state plasma levels were determined by mass fragment chromatography (GC-MF) to examine the effect of aging on thos e values. 2. There was a significant correlation between the plasma le vels and daily dose. However, there was a wide interindividual variabi lity. 3. Dose-corrected plasma level (DC-PL), or values corrected by d ividing the plasma level by daily dose/body weight, was used as the sy stemic drug clearance parameter. 4. DC-PL was compared among 7 age gro ups of the subjects distributed in 10-year-intavals. DC-PL showed no d ifference among groups of subjects between the > 29 years bracket to t he 70 years bracket, but showed significantly higher values in those i n the > 80 bracket compared to all age groups and subjects in the < 79 bracket. 5. There was a significant correlation between the age of pa tients and DC-PL according to polynomial response curve analysis. Regr ession analysis yielded te equation y = -52.72 + 7.05 x - 0.17 x(2) 0.01 x(3) (n = 45, r = 0.49, p < 0.01).