Metabolism of difebarbamate in man.

The metabolism of 1,3-bis(3-butoxy-2-carbamoyloxypropyl)-5-ethyl-5-phenyl- (1H,3H,5H)-pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione (difebarbamate) in man was studied. Human volunteers received a single oral dose of 25 mg/kg difebarbamate. Urine was extracted with Amberlite XAD-2 resin and the extracts were separated by preparative HPLC after enzymatic hydrolysis. Four major metabolites were isolated and their structures were determined using NMR and mass spectrometry. The oxygen dealkylation led to the formation of two metabolites: 1-(3-butoxy-2-carbamoyloxypropyl)-3-(2-carbamoyloxy-3-hydrox ypropyl)-5-ethyl-5- phenyl-(1H, 3H, 5H)-pyrimidine-2,4,6,-trione and 1,3-bis(2-carbamoyloxy-3-hydroxypropyl)-5-ethyl-5-phenyl-(1H,3H,5H )- pyrimidine-2,4,6,-trione. The hydrolysis of the carbamoyloxy group with the oxygen dealkylation led to the formation of 1-(2-carbamoyloxy-3-hydroxypropyl)-3-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-ethyl - 5-phenyl-(1H,3H,5H)-pyrimidine-2,4,6,-tione, whereas the 4-hydroxylation of the benzene ring together with the oxygen dealkylation led to the formation of 1,3-bis(2-carbamoyloxy-3-hydroxypropyl)-5-ethyl-5-(4-hydroxyphenyl )-(1H,3H,5H)- pyrimidine-2,4,6,-trione. No traces of the parent drug were found.