RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Stereoselective hydroxylation of tacrine in rats and humans. JF Drug Metabolism and Disposition JO Drug Metab Dispos FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 719 OP 724 VO 22 IS 5 A1 W D Hooper A1 W F Pool A1 T F Woolf A1 J Gal YR 1994 UL http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/22/5/719.abstract AB An enantiospecific method was developed for assessing the stereochemistry of tacrine (9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine monohydrochloride monohydrate; THA) metabolism to 1-hydroxytacrine (1-OH-THA) in humans and rats. In addition, limited metabolic studies with human liver microsomal preparations were conducted, and the stereochemistry of rac-1-OH-THA disposition was also examined. The analytical method incorporates an achiral normal phase separation and isolation of 1-OH-THA, followed by a chromatographic step using chiral normal-phase chromatography to resolve the enantiomers of 1-OH-THA. The achiral method was applied to quantitation of total 1-OH-THA in human urine specimens collected for 24 hr following administration of a single 40 mg oral dose of tacrine to 15 healthy elderly volunteers. Total 1-OH-THA accounted for approximately 5% of the administered dose. THA and 2-OH-THA were also quantitated and found to comprise < 1% and approximately 2% of the administered dose, respectively. 4-OH-THA was not detectable. The dextrorotatory (+)-isomer comprised approximately 94% of the 1-OH-THA recovered in urine. In vitro studies utilizing human liver microsomes found enantioselective formation of the (+)-isomer (approximately 90%), whereas incubations with rac-1-OH-THA showed residual substrate to be racemic. The method was also applied to determination of the enantiomeric composition of 1-OH-THA in the urine of rats given a single oral 16 mg/kg dose of THA. The percentage of 1-OH-THA excreted in urine as the (+)-isomer was 94%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)