Adriamycin metabolism in man. Evidence from urinary metabolites.

We studied the human metabolism of adriamycin by isolating and identifying urinary metabolites which retain adriamycin's specific fluorescence properties. Metabolites were extracted by adsorption to polystyrene polymeric sorbants, separated on silicic acid columns and purified by thin-layer chromatography. Structures were determined by comparative chromatography; infrared, fluorescence, and mass spectroscopy; and enzymatic and chemical degradation. Substances identified were adriamycinol, adriamycinol aglycone, adriamycin aglycone, deoxyadriamycin aglycone, deoxyadriamycinol aglycone, demethyldeoxyadriamycinol aglycone, demethyldeoxyadriamycinol aglycone 4-O-sulfate, and demethyldeoxyadriamycinol aglycone 4-O-beta-glucuronide. Other metabolites have been purified but not identified. Human metabolism of adriamycin involved carbonyl reduction, reductive glycosidic cleavage, hydrolytic glycosidic cleavage, O-demethylation, O-sulfation, and O-beta-glucuronidation. Carbonyl reduction was the major enzymatic conversion occurring in the human.