PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - K C Cundy AU - M Sato AU - P A Crooks TI - Stereospecific in vivo N-methylation of nicotine in the guinea pig. DP - 1985 Mar 01 TA - Drug Metabolism and Disposition PG - 175--185 VI - 13 IP - 2 4099 - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/13/2/175.short 4100 - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/13/2/175.full SO - Drug Metab Dispos1985 Mar 01; 13 AB - R-(+)-[3H-N'-CH3]N-methylnicotinium ion has been identified as a urinary metabolite of ip administered R-(+)-[3H-N'-CH3]nicotine in the guinea pig. Under similar conditions, S-(-)-[3H-N'-CH3]nicotine is not converted to the corresponding N-methylated metabolite. R-(+)-N-methylnicotinium salt was isolated from the urine of guinea pigs that had been chronically dosed ip with R-(+)-nicotine. The identification and stereochemical analysis of this metabolite were carried out using analytical and preparative cation exchange high pressure liquid chromatography and chemical reduction followed by GLC-mass spectrometric analysis and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The results show that nicotine is stereospecifically biotransformed into an N-methylated urinary metabolite in the guinea pig.