N-Hydroxylation of 1-(2,5-demethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane by rabbit liver microsomes

Metabolic N-hydroxylation of the potent psychotomimetic amine 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane (5) by rabbit liver microsomal preparations has been investigated. Synthetic hydroxylamine 8 was obtained by sequential reduction of the corresponding nitropropene 10 with sodium borohydride followed by zinc reduction of the resulting nitropropane 11. Compound 8 in water (pH 7.4) was rapidly air oxidized to oxime 12; this oxidation was completely blocked by rabbit liver microsomes. Microsomal incubations of amine 5 or its bis(methoxy-d3)hexadeuterio analog 5-d6 resulted in the formation of 8 and 8-d6, respectively, identified as their bis(trifluoroacetyl) derivatives by GLC-MS. Quantitative estimations of metabolite formation employing selected ion monitoring with the aid of an accelerating voltage alternator were accomplished by stable isotope dilution analyses with 5-d6 as substrate and 8-d0 as internal standard. Similar analyses starting with "pseudoracemates" (R)-5-d0:(S)-5-d6 or (R)-5-d6:(S)-5-d0 as substrates established metabolite 8 to be enriched with its R enantiomer.