[Deuteration of dimethyl 4,4'-dimethoxy-5,6,5',6'-dimethylenedioxybiphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxylate (BDD): a remedy for chronic hepatitis].

A new antihepatitic drug, BDD (I), which is very active and powerful especially in lowering elevated SGPT levels, has been previously discovered during the systematic study of Schisandra chinensis. In order to study the metabolism of this new antihepatic drug, deuterated BDD was prepared according to the following method. BDD lg, sodium chloroplatinate 193 mg, deuterium oxide 16ml, acetic anhydride 30ml, and acetyl chloride 0.4 ml were well mixed in a sealed ampoule and heated to 120-130 degrees C for 12h. The mixture was then poured into water. The precipitate (0.86g) contained the deuterated acid (IIa, IIb) of BDD. After esterification with methanol, a mixture (m.p. 150-153 degrees C) of mono- and di-deuterated BDD was obtained. Molecular clustering, as determined by GC/MS, showed that the product consisted of mono-deutero-BDD (IIIa) (m/e419) and dideutero-BDD (IIIb) (m/e420) in the ratio of 1:1.3.