1. The metabolism of imipramine (N-demethylation and 2-hydroxylation) was studied in relation to the activity of S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylase in human liver microsomes. 2. Eadie-Hofstee plots for the formation of despiramine and 2-hydroxyimipramine were biphasic, suggesting that at least two enzymes are involved in both the N-demethylation and 2-hydroxylation of imipramine by human liver microsomes. 3. The respective mean (+/- s.d.) kinetic parameters for the N-demethylation and 2-hydroxylation of imipramine derived from a two-enzyme kinetic analysis were: Km1 = 1.1 +/- 0.4 and 1.6 +/- 0.6 microM, Vmax1 = 0.11 +/- 0.03 and 0.15 +/- 0.07 nmol mg-1 min-1, and Vmax1/Km1 = 0.10 +/- 0.02 and 0.09 +/- 0.04 ml mg-1 min-1; Km2 = 214 +/- 84 and 257 +/- 148 microM, Vmax2 = 2.22 +/- 0.69 and 0.53 +/- 0.15 nmol mg-1 min-1, and Vmax2/Km2 = 0.011 +/- 0.001 and 0.003 +/- 0.002 ml mg-1 min-1. 4. With regard to imipramine N-demethylation and 2-hydroxylation at 2 microM (representing high-affinity reactions) and at 400 microM (representing low-affinity reactions), only N-demethylation at 2 microM showed a close correlation with the 4'-hydroxylation of S-mephenytoin (rs = 0.952, P < 0.01; n = 10 livers). 5. Concentrations up to 250 microM S-mephenytoin inhibited the N-demethylation of imipramine (2 microM), but no further inhibition was observed using concentrations from 250 to 750 microM. 6. Imipramine inhibited S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation competitively with a Ki value of 12.5 microM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)