Selected ion monitoring analysis of pseudoracemic hexobarbital and its major metabolites in blood and urine of rats.

A stereospecific synthesis of N1-(2H3)-labelled R(-)-hexobarbital is described. A sensitive and rapid selected ion monitoring assay procedure for pseudoracemic hexobarbital, consisting of equal amounts of S(+)-hexobarbital (1a) and (2H3)-R(-)-hexobarbital (1b) in 100 microliters blood samples of rats was developed. Both the parent enantiomers in blood and three major metabolites excreted in urine were quantified. An application of the method in rats is described, and the results are compared to previously obtained data of separately administered enantiomers.