Effect of plasma from patients containing bupropion and its metabolites on the uptake of norepinephrine.

The uptake of norepinephrine into cortical punches from the brain of the rat was studied in the presence of buffer and plasma from patients containing bupropion and its metabolites. Even though bupropion and its metabolite (compound II) were equipotent in inhibiting the uptake of NE in buffer, compound II was twice as active as bupropion in the presence of human plasma. When the inhibition of uptake of NE in the presence of plasma, obtained from patients on bupropion on steady-state, was correlated with levels of bupropion and its metabolites (II, III, IV) a highly significant correlation was seen in the presence of compound II. Since this compound accumulated in plasma from patients 20-100 times that of the parent compound, the mode of action of bupropion may in part be due to the effect of this compound on the uptake of NE.