Metabolic interaction between imipramine and carbamazepine in vivo and in vitro in rats

Summary The pharmacokinetic consequences of the combination of carbamazepine with imipramine in male Wistar rats have been investigated. It was found that a 2-week treatment with the combination resulted in the increase of the concentrations of the parent compounds and a simultaneous decrease in their metabolites in blood plasma i.e. carbamazepine inhibited imipramine demethylation in the side chain while imipramine inhibited carbamazepine 10,11-epoxidation. The velocity of imipramine 2-hydroxylation and 10,11-epoxy-carbamazepine hydration did not seem to be changed by the combination. On the basis of studies in vitro it is concluded that the observed metabolic interaction between carbamazepine and imipramine is due to the competition of the drugs for the active centre of cytochrome P 450 and to a certain qualitative alteration of the enzyme by imipramine as can be deducted from the decrease of carbamazepine binding to the cytochrome. Send offprint requests to K. J. Netter