[New aspects of hexobarbital metabolism: stereoselective metabolism, new metabolic pathway via GSH conjugation, and 3-hydroxyhexobarbital dehydrogenases].

Hexobarbital, a short-acting hypnotic, is metabolized to 3'-hydroxyhexobarbital by cytochrome P450, and then to 3'-oxohexobarbital by liver cytosolic dehydrogenase. New methods of separation for hexobarbital and its metabolites by TLC have been developed and applied to study the metabolism of hexobarbital enantiomers and stereoselective metabolism of hexobarbital. (+)-Hexobarbital preferentially was transformed into beta-3'-hydroxyhexobarbital and the (-)-enantiomer preferentially transformed into alpha-3'-hydroxyhexobarbital by rat liver microsomes.