Metabolic reduction of naltrexone. I. Synthesis, separation and characterization of naloxone and naltrexone reduction products and qualitative assay of urine and bile following administration of naltrexone, alpha-naltrexol, or beta-naltrexol.

Reduction of naltrexone and naloxone with sodium borohydride gave a mixture (85:15) of the 6alpha- and 6beta-hydroxy epimers, alpha- and beta-naltrexol and alpha- and beta-naloxol, respectively. Each pair of epimers was separated by preparative thin-layer chromatography and the physical and spectral properties of each compound were determined. Previous assignments for the configuration of the epimers were verified. A semi-quantitative electron capture gas-liquid chromatographic method was devised for distinguishing either alpha- or beta-naltrexol in the presence of the other and in the presence of large amounts (at least 10-fold greater) of naltrexone. The method was used to determine the approximate weight ratio of beta-naltrexol to naltrexone present in enzymatically hydrolyzed urine samples. It was found that substantially greater quantities of beta-naltrexol and/or its conjugates were excreted in the urine of man, monkey, guinea pig and rabbit after administration of naltrexone, whereas very small quantities were excreted by the mouse, rat and dog. In contrast, just trace amounts of the 6alpha-hydroxy epimer, alpha-naltrexol, were detected in the urine of only 2 of the 7 species that had received naltrexone, i.e., monkey and guinea pig. After administration of 3H-15,16-naltrexone, 1 mg/kg, i.v. to the guinea pig, 25% of the radioactivity found following thin-layer chromatography of the extract of acid-hydrolyzed urine corresponded to beta-naltrexol. In gall bladder bile from the guinea pig, only conjugates of naltrexone and beta-naltrexol were found 2 hours after administration of naltrexone. Following administration of beta-naltrexol, 1 mg/kg, i.v. to guinea pigs only beta-naltrexol and/or its conjugates were detected in urine or bile. However, urine collected after administration of alpha-naltrexol, 1 mg/kg, i.v. to guinea pigs contained alpha-naltrexol and its conjugates, as well as a yet unidentified metabolite.