Stereoselective reduction of acetohexamide in cytosol of rabbit liver.

The stereoselective reduction of acetohexamide, an oral antidiabetic drug, was studied by using the cytosol of rabbit liver. A major metabolite of acetohexamide was isolated in 41.5% yield from the enzyme reaction mixture, and identified as (-)-hydroxyhexamide by techniques including the melting point, thin-layer chromatography, infrared spectrometry and optical rotation. The enantiomeric purity of (-)-hydroxyhexamide was determined on the basis of the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (400 MHz) spectrum of ester (diasteromer) derived by the reaction of (-)-hydroxyhexamide with (R)-(+)-alpha-methoxy-alpha-trifluoromethylphenylacetyl chloride. The (-)-hydroxyhexamide isolated from the enzyme reaction mixture was almost 100% in that enantiomeric form. The metabolic reduction of acetohexamide in the cytosol of rabbit liver appeared to be catalyzed by some enzymes with the same stereoselectivity.

In vivo and in vitro binding of (-)-hydroxyhexamide, a major metabolite of acetohexamide, to rabbit serum.

The in vivo and in vitro bindings of (-)-hydroxyhexamide, a major metabolite of acetohexamide, to rabbit serum were examined by using an ultrafiltration method. The in vivo serum protein binding of (-)-hydroxyhexamide was much lower than the in vitro serum protein binding. The in vitro serum protein binding of (-)-hydroxyhexamide was strongly displaced by the addition of acetohexamide. Furthermore, the in vitro serum protein binding of (-)-hydroxyhexamide in the presence of acetohexamide and (-)-hydroxyhexamide at the same concentrations as those found 1.0 h after acetohexamide administration was approximately similar to the in vivo serum protein binding of (-)-hydroxyhexamide. These results lead us to conclude that acetohexamide, the parent drug of (-)-hydroxyhexamide, plays an important role in the in vivo serum protein binding of (-)-hydroxyhexamide.