Stereoselective differences in the binding of N-methylated barbiturates to human serum albumin.

The binding to human serum albumin (HSA) of a homologous series of N-methylated chiral barbiturates was studied by means of equilibrium dialysis. The length of the aliphatic side chain at C-5 of the barbiturate ring was variable, and the compounds used were: (+)-(S)- and (-)-(R)-5-methyl-(A), -5-ethyl-(B), -5-propyl-(C) and -5-butyl-(D)-1-methyl-5-phenyl-barbiturate. Binding parameters (numbers of binding classes and of binding sites in each class, affinity constant, total binding constant) were obtained from the Scatchard plot of the percent binding values. For both enantiomers of A and D as well as for (-)-(R)-B 2 classes were obtained; (+)-(S)-B and both enantiomers of C had only 1 class. The total binding constant (K) indicated a more than twofold higher binding of (-)-(R)-B (2.64 x 10(3).mol-1) and C (5.75 x 10(3).mol-1) compared with the corresponding (+)-(S)-enantiomer (1.02 and 2.00 x 10(3).mol-1, respectively); in the case of D the (+)-(S)-enantiomer was preferentially bound (K = 10.14 vs. 5.40 x 10(3).mol-1 for the (-)-(R)-enantiomer). The percent binding values of (+)-(S)-A were higher than those of (-)-(R)-A; however, the K-values of the A-enantiomers were almost identical.