This assay method allows a simultaneous determination of imipramine, desipramine, their 2-hydroxylated metabolites, and imipramine-N-oxide in 0.5 ml of plasma or 0.1 ml of urine within 35 min by an ion-paired, reversed phase (C18) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. The analytes are extracted from alkalinized plasma or urine with 5 ml of a 90/10 mixture (by vol) of diethyl either/2-propanol, back-extracted into 0.5 ml of 0.1 mol/L phosphoric acid. Urine samples are enzymatically treated with beta-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase before extraction. The electrochemical detection is performed with a glassy carbon electrode set at +0.85 V against the Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Recoveries for the analytes and the internal standard (propericiazine) from plasma or urine ranged from 66.4 to 105.7% with coefficients of variation (CVs) of < 6.8%. The intra- and interassay CVs for the analytes were < 17.4% in plasma and < 14.2% in urine. The limits of determination (a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for imipramine, desipramine, 2-hydroxyimipramine, 2-hydroxydesipramine, and imipramine-N-oxide were 0.5, 0.3, 0.02, 0.02, and 1.0 microgram/L, respectively. Only four of the 23 psychotropic drugs, which might be coadministered with imipramine or desipramine, were considered to be the possible sources to interfere with the assay. We evaluated clinical applicability of this method by determining plasma concentration- and urinary excretion-time courses of the respective analytes in an extensive and a poor metabolizer of the debrisoquine/sparteine-type oxidation after a single oral dose of imipramine HCl (25 mg). The present method appears to be suitable not only for the therapeutic drug monitoring of imipramine and its active metabolites but also for studying the pharmacogenetically related metabolism of imipramine or desipramine.