A deuterium isotope effect on the inhibition of gastric secretion by N,N-dimethyl-N'-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl]-N'-(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)urea. Synthesis of metabolites.

: The use of isotopic substitution to retard the oxidative metabolism of the gastric antisecretory agent N,N-dimethyl-N'-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl]-N'-(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)urea (1) and improve its antisecretory potency was examined. The pyridine ring methyl hydrogens of 1 were replaced with either deuterium or fluorine. The hexadeuterated analogue (12) was found to be approximately 2.1 times more potent than the protio form (1) as an inhibitor of gastric acid secretion stimulated by gastrin tetrapeptide. The hexafluoro analogue (11) was 0.4 times as potent as 1. A useful pyridine ring synthesis was developed to prepare the metabolites of 1, 10a (4-hydroxymethyl) and 10b (6-hydroxymethyl), and the hexafluoro analogue 11. These syntheses involved the condensation of 1,3-diketones with an appropriately N-substituted amidinoacetate.