HPLC analysis of tricyclic antidepressants in skin diffusion studies

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of tricyclic antidepressants i n skin permeation studies. The chromatographic system involved the use of a Shim-pack (C-18) column with pH 3.0 sodium phosphate buffer-acetonitrile a s the mobile phase; detection was set at 238 and 250 nm for amitriptyline H Cl and imipramine HCl, respectively. Calibration curves of amitriptyline HC l and imipramine HCl were obtained in three different media namely, methano l, pH 7.4 phosphate buffer and physiological saline. Skin permeation studie s were peformed using Sprague-Dawley rat skin and drug samples were analyse d by the HPLC method. this technique was compared with radiochemical analys is using H-3 imipramine. The HPLC method proposed was successfully applicab le to the continuous monitoring of tricyclic antidepressants in skin permea tion studies, and the results were comparable to the radiochemical method i n the case of imipramine HCl.