Pentazocine binding to blood cells and plasma proteins

Abstract

The binding of pentazocine to human whole blood, plasma, and blood cells was investigated in 20 normal subjects and 22 patients by means of equilibrium dialysis. Plasma protein binding was 56% to 66% in the control sub;ects and 48% to 75% in the patients. In control sub;ects, 48% of the total amount of pentazocine in whole blood is present in blood cells and 33% is bound to plasma proteins. The remaining 19% is in the plasma water. Whole blood concentrations of pentazocine may be expected to be about the same as the plasma concentrations in sub;ects with normal hematocrit.