Radioimmunoassay for bupropion in human plasma: comparison of tritiated and iodinated radioligands.

We evaluated the potential usefulness of 125I-labeled p-hydroxybupropion in a direct radioimmunoassay for bupropion in human plasma as compared with a currently used [3H]bupropion dextran-coated charcoal method. In both radioimmunoassay methods succinoylpropylbupropion antiserum was used that was highly specific for unchanged drug, cross reactivities with known bupropion metabolites being less than 0.3%. However, the use of 125I-labeled p-hydroxybupropion afforded greater sensitivity (0.3 microgram/L vs 0.6 microgram/L with [3H]bupropion) and was readily adaptable to the more convenient polyethylene glycol separation method. Between-assay CVs were 3.8 to 12.2% (mean 7.6%) with the 125I-based radioimmunoassay and 5.1 to 11.5% (mean 7.5%) with the 3H-based assay. Agreement between the two radioimmunoassay determinations of buproprion in human plasma samples collected over a 60-h period after oral drug administration was excellent (slope = 1.086, r = 0.989). We find the 125I-based assay a convenient and suitable alternative to the [3H]bupropion assay in pharmacokinetic studies in humans.